Staff Reporter:Â
QUETTA: The ongoing Balochistan unrest deepened late Monday night as the third round of crucial negotiations between the Government of Balochistan and the protest dharna (sit-in) committee ended in a stalemate. Despite a grueling six-hour-long meeting, both sides failed to reach a consensus, prolonging the tense standoff in the provincial capital.
​The protesters, who have refused to back down, are staging a massive sit-in demonstration along with the bodies of martyred police officials at the main Quetta Koila phatak area. The high-stakes Quetta protest has brought life in parts of the city to a standstill, drawing nationwide attention to the security situation in Balochistan.
​Deadlock Persists After Six Hours of Negotiations
​The third round of talks, which began on Monday evening and dragged on late into the night, yielded no breakthrough. Nasrullah Khan Zere, a prominent leader of the Dharna Committee, confirmed that the government delegation has requested more time to deliberate on the protesters’ demands.
​”We held an intense, six-hour-long negotiation session with the Government of Balochistan’s delegation. We have laid out our demands clearly once again,” Nasrullah Khan Zere told Quetta Voice. “The government team has now sought time for internal consultations.”
​Sit-In Demonstration and Strikes to Continue Across Balochistan
​With negotiations hitting a roadblock, the Dharna Committee has announced that the sit-in demonstration at the Quetta Yatek area will continue indefinitely.
​Furthermore, the protest is expected to intensify across the province. According to Zere, the All-Parties alliance has already chalked out a comprehensive schedule for province-wide protest demonstrations and shutter-down strikes.
