Protests erupt in Balochistan over woman's alleged abduction in Khuzdar

• Khuzdar protests enter third day, national highway remains blocked.
• Markets shut in Sohrab, Qalat, and other cities amid demonstrations.
• Authorities arrest one suspect, raids continue for other culprits.
  

KHUZDAR: A province-wide strike and protests broke out across Balochistan on Saturday in response to the alleged abduction of a woman from Khuzdar, with markets completely shut down in several cities.

Protests and roadblocks persisted across the province for the third consecutive day as demonstrators voiced outrage over the alleged abduction. 

The sit-in at Sabzi Mandi continued, with the main national highway blocked, causing severe disruption to traffic and stranding hundreds of vehicles and passengers.

According to police, the woman’s family has filed a case, leading to the arrest of one suspect. Raids are underway to apprehend other individuals involved in the woman's alleged abduction, which took place three days ago.

The protests have expanded beyond Khuzdar, with demonstrations, strikes, and road closures reported in various cities. The Jattak Qaumi Ittehad led protests in Qalat, blocking the National Highway, while in Naseerabad, demonstrators burned tyres at Pat Feeder Canal, disrupting traffic between Sindh and Balochistan on the National Highway

In Sorab, a complete shutter-down strike was observed, with all commercial centres closed. Meanwhile, in Mastung, the Quetta-Sukkur National Highway at Dasht remained blocked for over 13 hours, leaving commuters stranded in the harsh winter cold.

Authorities are in talks with the protesters to resolve the situation and restore normalcy.

Balochistan CM Sarfaraz Bugti said that strict action was being taken on the matter and he was personally supervising the investigations. He said the police chief had been directed to show no leniency towards anyone. 

The police had registered a case against two suspects on behalf of the abducted the woman's brother on Friday.

Balochistan MPA Agha Umar Ahmedzai and some other lawmakers from the opposition benches had staged a walk out from the provincial assembly in protest.

Provincial Minister for Irrigation Sadiq Imrani also condemned the incident, saying that the safety of citizens' life and property was the government's responsibility.

Moreover, Balochistan High Court Bar also condemned the kidnapping, saying that such incidents were equivalent to challenging the government's writ.