QUETTA: Tensions escalated in Quetta after the families of 21 police personnel martyred in the recent terrorist attack in Ziarat refused to bury their loved ones and shifted the bodies to an ongoing protest sit-in on Hanna Urak Airport Road.
The demonstrators, who took custody of the bodies from Civil Hospital Quetta after post-mortem procedures, announced that the sit-in would continue until they hold direct talks with the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Chief of Army Staff. They said the burial of the martyrs would not take place until their demands are addressed and justice is ensured.
The transfer of the bodies sparked chaos at the hospital, where angry relatives and protesters chanted slogans. Reports said heated exchanges and stone-pelting occurred between protesters and police, leaving several officers injured. Authorities have since tightened security and blocked multiple roads across Quetta to prevent further unrest.
Several political leaders, including PTI MNA Adil Bazai and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party leader Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal, joined the grieving families and expressed solidarity with their demands.
The development follows the deadly terrorist attack in Ziarat’s Mangi Dam Phase III area, in which multiple police personnel, including two Station House Officers (SHOs), were martyred. While nine victims had already been laid to rest, the remaining 21 bodies were initially scheduled to be taken to Police Lines for funeral prayers before the protest altered the arrangements.
Meanwhile, security forces have claimed that 15 militants were killed in retaliatory operations launched after the attack.
Political leaders have urged both the federal and provincial governments to intervene immediately, address the concerns of the bereaved families, and resolve the situation peacefully.
