Police raid Balochistan minister's house in connection with Barkhan murders

• Police search different parts of house including guest room.
• Balochistan Bar Council boycott court proceedings today.
• Tribal council convened to discuss Barkhan incident today at 5pm.

The police raided late Tuesday night the house of Balochistan Minister for Construction and Communications Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran in connection with the gruesome murder of three people whose bullet-riddled bodies were found in a well in the Barkhan district. 

According to the police spokesperson, female police officers were also present during the raid. The police searched different parts of the house including the guest room. 

The spokesperson said that the roads leading to Khetran's house in Quetta's Patel Bagh have been sealed, adding that the raid was carried out to recover Khan Muhammad Marri's five children.

Tribesmen hold sit-in  

Meanwhile, the relatives of the deceased and Marri tribesmen are holding a sit-in in the provincial capital against the murders, saying that the minister should be arrested and a judicial inquiry should be conducted into the matter. 

Rallies were also carried out in different areas of the province in protest of the murder.

On the other hand, Balochistan Bar Council boycotted court proceedings today as a protest against the murders. A member of the bar council, Rahib Buledi, said that the lawyers will not appear in the courts today. 

Moreover, a tribal council has been convened to discuss the Barkhan incident today at 5pm by Senator Prince Agha Umar Ahmedzai at the Aiwan-e-Qalat in Quetta.

A spokesperson of the Aiwan-e-Qalat said that the heads of Baloch and Pashtun tribes will participate in the council. 

Imran Khan condemns incident 

Preliminary report 

The deputy inspector general of police (DIG) Loralai has sent a preliminary report to the inspector general (IG). 

As per the report, all three bodies have been identified. "The bodies were handed over to Abdul Qayyum Bajarani after legal proceedings," stated the report.

It said that Abdul Qayyum asked the police to file a first information report (FIR) of the incident. "Abdul Qayyum Bajarani said that Khan Muhammad Marri filed an FIR on February 18," said the report. 

The report said that the FIR stated that Marri's wife and children are incarcerated in Khetran's private prison. 

It said that the police, on the instructions of higher authorities, took all measures to recover the abductees but the police could not find any solid evidence related to them.

"An action will be taken against the suspects on the case filed by the family members," said the report, adding that the investigation is being carried out from all aspects. 

Balochistan minister denies allegations

A day earlier, Khetran denied allegations of involvement in the murders and claimed to be a “peaceful and law-abiding person”.

“Accusations of owning a private prison and the murder of three people is a conspiracy to damage my political reputation,” he said, adding that his house was searched by the previous government.

“Had there been a jail, it would have been discovered,” he insisted, “However, if anyone is still in doubt, they can check my house.”

He further said that the allegations were a “sinister attempt” to deprive him of the “right of regional politics”.

The murders

Three bodies, including a woman and two men that had bullet wounds, were removed from the well in the Barkhan district on Monday night and brought to Quetta.

The bodies of the deceased were brought by their loved ones and tribe members to the Abdul Sattar Edhi Chowk in Quetta, following their funeral prayers in Kohlu this morning.

Khan Muhammad Marri, a resident of Kohlu, claimed that the deceased are his wife and two sons.

In a shocking turn of events, an audio message from Marri began circulating on social media.

“I am the heir of the bodies found in Barkhan,” he claimed. “Two of the bodies found in Barkhan are of my sons and one of my wife.”

He then went on the allege: “Five slaves are still in the possession of Sardar Abdul Rehman.”

Following these accusations, the bodies were brought to Edhi Chowk from where they were taken to Fayyaz Sumbal Chowk near the Red Zone.

At the Fayyaz Sumbal Chowk, a protest was staged against the grisly murder, and protesters demanded justice for the families of those killed.