BY: Special Correspondent ANI:
QUETTA — A sit in on the Quetta Chaman International Highway ended late Saturday after successful negotiations between protesters and the Balochistan government, which assured the immediate arrest of those responsible for the killing of prominent businessman Muhammad Hashim Khan Noorzai.Earlier in the day, unidentified gunmen shot and killed Hashim Khan Noorzai on Airport Road while he was travelling from his home to his hotel. The incident sparked widespread outrage, prompting his family members and local residents to block the Quetta Chaman International Highway. Thousands of vehicles were stranded on both sides of the road as large numbers of protesters braved intense heat to demand justice.The protest drew support from political parties, tribal elders, members of the business community and people from different schools of thought across Balochistan. Several rounds of negotiations throughout the day remained inconclusive before senior government and police officials resumed talks in the evening and assured the protesters that every possible effort would be made to apprehend the killers.Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti took immediate notice of the incident, sought a report from the Inspector General of Police and expressed deep sorrow over the killing.Political and business leaders strongly condemned the incident, accusing the provincial government of failing to maintain law and order. They said the deteriorating security situation had first damaged businesses and was now claiming the lives of traders.Hashim Khan Noorzai was the founder of the internationally renowned Kabul Hotel in Quetta, which provides employment to more than 400 local people. Speaking to the media, his brothers and friend Najibullah said the family had no personal enmity with anyone and urged the government to ensure the immediate arrest of the perpetrators.Following the successful negotiations, Noorzai tribe chief Haji Aminullah Khan Noorzai addressed the protesters, thanked political, tribal and social leaders for their support, and announced the end of the sit in after receiving assurances from the administration regarding swift action against those involved in the murder.
