Staff Reporter:
Quetta: Pashtoon nationalist political parties staged a protest outside the Balochistan Assembly against the killing of 21 coal miners in Dukki and the introduction of a visa regime at the Pak-Afghan border in Chaman.
The protest, led by the Awami National Party (ANP), Pashtoonkhwa National Awami Party (PNAP), National Democratic Movement (NDM), and the banned Pashtoon Tahafuz Movement (PTM), saw demonstrators blocking the main road to voice their concerns.
Leaders, including Asghar Khan Achakzai, former Senator Raza Muhammad Raza, Ahmed Jan, Noor Bacha, and Zamarak Khan Achakzai, condemned both issues and demanded action.
Asghar Khan Achakzai, speaking about the miners’ killing, said, “The brutal killing of 21 innocent coal miners in Dukki is an unforgivable crime. The government must take immediate steps to protect these workers.”
On the Chaman border issue, he added, “The imposition of a visa regime will hurt the livelihoods of thousands who rely on cross-border movement. This decision must be reversed.”
Raza Muhammad Raza called for a judicial commission to investigate the miners’ deaths, stating, “We strongly condemn this heinous act and demand accountability.”
He also opposed the visa policy, warning of the economic fallout for border communities.
Protesters vowed to continue their movement until the government addresses both the killings and the border issue, calling them attacks on the lives and livelihoods of the people in the region.
