The Baloch Hal News

QUETTA: An activist of the Balochistan National Party (BNP) was shot dead on Monday in the outskirts of Quetta in what the local police billed as an exchange of fire while the BNP described it as shooting of an innocent political worker by the aggressive police force deployed in the area.

According to the police, a man, identified as Lakmir Purkani, was killed in an exchange of firing with police personnel and a TT pistol had been recovered from victim’s custody. The police charged that the slain activist had firstly initiated fire on a security guard from the police department deployed in the area which culminated in retaliation and killed Purkani.

Reacting angrily over the killing of its activist, the BNP central leadership took out a procession against the killing of its worker along with dead body. The protestors marched to Quetta Press Club from the Civil Hospital where they held a demonstration against the government. Later procession had moved to Sariab Police Station for registering a case against police personnel.

“Lakmir Purkani is a worker of BNP and he is innocent. The police version of encounter or any exchange of firing between is absolutely fake,” alleged Habib Jalib, central secretary general of the Balochistan National Party, while talking to Balochistan Express, adding that police shelled on rally which was going towards Sariab Police station for registering a case against the suspected police personnel responsible for the killing of the BNP worker.

The Sariab Police said that demonstrators had pelted stones on police station. However, they dispersed only after the police, as a last resort, felt compelled to fire shells to force the protestors to disappear from the venue.

“The case is not clear and investigation is under process,” Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Shabir Shiek told Balochistan Express, “ the police have recovered a TT Pistol and a knife from the accused as he opened fire on security guards of Imam Bhargha,”