54 injured in clashes between protesters, security personnel in Chaman

CHAMAN: Clashes that lasted for several hours between protesters and security forces on Mall Road in Chaman on Thursday left a total of 54 persons injured, including 37 protesters, eight policemen and nine FC personnel.

A state of emergency has been imposed at hospitals across the district. Offices also remained closed due to the protest as staffers could not leave homes due to the unruly situation on roads.

Some of the protesters also tried to set fire to armoured vehicles by throwing bottles filled with petrol. After the arrest of the sit-in leadership, the government opened the Quetta-Chaman highway, but that could not resume market operations as the protests did not subside.

The protesters announced that they would continue with the agitation until their leadership was released.

The protests reportedly intensified when rumours circulated a night earlier that the arrested protest leaders had been tortured following their transfer to Quetta. The enraged protesters shut down the entire city forcing closures of offices, banks, markets and other public places.

After protest leaders called for besieging government offices, a large number of people came to the FC Fort and tried to enter it. As the FC and police personnel tried to stop them, they were outnumbered by the protesters, who pelted them with stones.

Later, armoured vehicles arrived at the scene to disperse the protesters. The law enforcement agencies resorted to firing in the air and using of tear gas against the protesters on Mall Road.

As a result of the clashes, dozens of people were injured and ambulances became short. The telephone system in the city was also temporarily disrupted after protesters cut off the main PTCL line.