BY:Syed Sardar Mohammad Khondai
CHAMAN—The protest sit-in staged by the families of those killed in the Ziarat tragedy continued for a second consecutive day on Wednesday, while negotiations between the government committee and the sit-in committee remained deadlocked over key demands.
According to participants, a fresh round of talks held late Tuesday night ended without any breakthrough or formal announcement. However, both sides continue to remain engaged in dialogue in an effort to resolve the impasse.
The sit-in was addressed by Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Pashtunkhwa National Awami Party Chairman Khushal Khan Kakar, Pashtun Democratic Movement leader Mohsin Dawar, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) Balochistan Ameer Maulana Abdul Wasey, Awami National Party Balochistan President Asghar Khan Achakzai, Nasrullah Khan Zerey, Adil Khan Bazai, prominent Balochistan writer and journalist Syed Anwar Shah, as well as representatives of the traders, lawyers and Hazara communities.
Addressing the gathering, the speakers said the protest would continue until all demands of the families of the victims are accepted. They praised the courage and resilience shown by the bereaved families, saying their peaceful protest and sacrifice were aimed at ensuring justice and a safer future.
In solidarity with the central sit-in in Quetta, large protest demonstrations were also held in the border town of Chaman and several Pashtun and Baloch districts across the province. Protesters carried banners and placards, demanding the restoration of law and order and the immediate acceptance of the sit-in committee’s demands.
Meanwhile, the sit-in committee has announced a province-wide shutter-down strike on July 17 to press for the fulfillment of its demands.
