Balochistan : Quetta Handed Over to FC as Police Strike Continues

Wednesday, 27 January 2010

The Balochistan government on Tuesday directed the Frontier Corps (FC) to take over the maintenance of law and order in Quetta, after policemen demanding an increase in salaries continued protesting for the second consecutive day.

Below is an article published by: Daily Times

Taking stern action against policemen and officers responsible for Monday’s (25 January 2010) violent protests in the provincial capital, the Balochistan government arrested 15 policemen, including three officers and registered cases against 250 policemen, while the government also suspended 30 others. Government sources said the FC had been called in to guard official buildings, including the Governor and the Chief Minister’s houses that were ransacked by the protesting policemen on Monday (25 January 2010). Cases were registered against the protesters at the Civil Lines Police Station for resorting to violence during a protest rally.

The policemen used official weapons for aerial firing, burnt tyres to block various roads, damaged several vehicles and beat up civilians.A high-level meeting discussed damages caused by the protesters.

Deputy superintendents of police Mohammad Nawaz Salachi and Murtaza Kayani were arrested for their role in the violent protests. The government also replaced Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Shahid Nizam Durrani, with Regional Police Officer Ghulam Shabir Sheikh.

Likewise, Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Abid Nothkani was also ordered to report to the Services and General Administration Department. The FC personnel were deployed at the headquarters of the Anti-Terrorism Force, Police Lines, the Police Training College, Zarghoon Road, Prince Road, Jinnah Road, Masjid Road, Shahra-e-Iqbal, Shahra-e-Liaqat, Kasi Road, as well as several other important areas.

Murtaza Baig, spokesman for the FC, told Daily Times that “the FC deployments are a part of a June 2009 request made by the Balochistan government for assistance to the police force to curb targeted killings”, adding that no new request had been made by the Balochistan government.

http://www.unpo.org/content/view/10637/243/