Masked local persons tried to hijack Baloch people’s peaceful protest: Ministers

ISLAMABAD,  :The government on Thursday pointed out that some unidentified masked local persons tried to highjack the peaceful protest of  Baloch people which led to the unruly situation on Wednesday resulting into arrest of protestors.

A peaceful protest was a right of every citizen and the people from Balochistan had been on a peaceful protest outside the National Press Club for the last 23 days but none of the law enforcement forces did not take any action against them, caretaker federal ministers Fawad Hassan Fawad, Murtaza Solangi and Jamal Shah told a joint press conference.

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar formed a  committee comprising Federal Minister for Privatization Fawad Hassan Fawad, Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi and Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture Jamal Shah to negotiate with the protestors.

Fawad said that the government had offered the protestors to stage their sit-in either at F-9 Park or in Sector H-9 keeping in view their security. However, the Baloch people camped outside the NPC to record their protest peacefully.

The minister said it was reported that some unidentified  persons wearing masks were participating in the protest. As per intelligence reports, such people did not belong to Balochistan, rather they were locals.

When the police on Wednesday took action against the masked people, they started pelting stones at the personnel, which had to arrest the protestors, he added.

The minister said after scrutiny, 90 percent of the innocent and peaceful protestors, including women and children, had been released while the unidentified men were still under detention.

Information Minister Murtaza Solangi said Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar had formed the committee to address the issues of protesting Baloch people.

The committee had held negotiations with the protestors and especially met children and women, he added.

From the government side, he said, Fawad Hassan Fawad was leading the negotiations with the protesting Baloch.

He said the committee had taken steps for resolving the existing situation and needful would be done to address their issues.

To a question, Solangi said there was no hurdle in holding the general elections in accordance with the schedule issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan.

Culture Minister Jamal Shah said that the prime minister had entrusted them with the duty of negotiating with the protesters.

He said that the issues of protestors had been resolved amicably. Some elements tried to take advantage of the current situation, but they would not be allowed to succeed, he added.