4 cops among 8 killed in Balochistan attacks

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): Eight people, including four security personnel, have been killed in two separate attacks in Pakistan’s restive southwestern province of Balochistan.

Four labourers from Punjab province were shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Kalat district, security officials said.

The labourers came under attack in Malangzai area, where they were working a tube well. Their bodies were shifted to hospital for medico-legal procedures before being sent to their native towns.

In Noshki district, four policemen were gunned down in an attack by armed motorcyclists on a checkpoint in Gharibabad area.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced the incidents, pledging to eradicate the menace of terrorism.

Also on Saturday, a shutdown and a wheel-jam strikes were observed on in parts of Balochistan, including Quetta, against the arrest of Baloch Yekjethi Committee leaders and activists.

BYC central organiser Mahrang Baloch, Bebow Baloch, and some other activists were detained near the University of Balochistan, Geo TV reported.

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) asked the government to immediately release Mahrang Baloch and other BYC leaders and workers.

The panel stressed the need for an inclusive dialogue in addressing Balochistan’s issues. It called for avoiding excessive steps, warning knee-jerk reactions would exacerbate the situation.

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