few weeks ago, scores of Marri tribesmen, women and children walked to Quetta in protest. The protestors were carrying the bodies of two young men and a woman. These bodies had been recovered earlier from the Barkhan district.

The protestors called on the authorities to recover the rest of Khan Muhammad Marri’s children immediately.

They alleged that Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran, a provincial minister, was responsible for the murders and demanded his arrest. They further demanded that a new team be constituted for an impartial investigation into the deaths.

The protest culminated in a sit-in in Quetta’s Red Zone that lasted several days. Members of the civil society, the general public and political leaders strongly condemned the crimes and demanded justice for the Marri family.

A massive protest campaign erupted on media outlets against MPA Khehtran, after three bodies were recovered from a tunnel in Barkhan.

Earlier, in an interview, Khan Muhammad Marri had alleged that his entire family, including his wife Gran Naz, and 18-year-old daughter, were in a private jail operated by MPA Abdul Rehman Khetran. He claimed that Khetran was responsible for the gruesome killing of his sons.

In February, a video showing a woman thought to be Gran Naz, Khan Muhammad Marri’s wife, had surfaced on social media. In the video, she held up the Holy Quran and said that Khetran had detained her and her children in a private prison. With tears in her eyes, she pleaded to be released and reunited with her family.

This incident spread fear in Quetta as well as the rest of the province. The residents of the city slipped into shock as they found out about the incident, initially from social media.

Human rights activist Dr Mahrang Baloch, who is based in Quetta, said that lawlessness was at its peak in Balochistan. “This is not the first time we have received the bodies of missing people. The past is riddled with such heart-wrenching incidents,” said Baloch. “The powerful use the law to suppress the oppressed,” she asserted.

Commenting on the reports, chairperson of the human rights organisation Bardasht Balochistan, Hamida Hazara, told the News on Sunday that the practice of imprisoning women in private jails was condemnable. “The [imprisoned] women are forced to work. They are also physically and sexually assaulted while in captivity,” said Hazara.

Hamida Hazara added that women in Balochistan were subjected to both patriarchy and feudalism. She said those wielding political power were equally responsible for their exploitation.

Hazara said that the Barkhan tragedy was very disturbing. She said that the government must investigate the matter and hold the culprit accountable.

Minister for Construction and Communications Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran was finally arrested by police on charges of murder. He was produced before a court the next day.

The district and sessions judge granted the police a 10 day physical remand on February 23. Gran Naz, earlier thought to be dead, her daughter, and her four sons were recovered from Barkhan by the levies force.

After ten days in the custody of Crimes Branch police, Khetran was produced before judicial magistrate Bashir Bazai. The district and sessions sent him on judicial remand till March 9.

So far, the government has constituted a high-profile committee that will investigate the three murder cases and the alleged involvement of Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran.

Khan Muhammad Marri has identified two of the bodies as his sons. The third body, that of a young woman, remained unidentified and unclaimed. Edhi Foundation buried the girl in Quetta.

Post-mortem examination of the deceased revealed that she 17-18 years old and was raped before being shot in the head thrice. Police surgeon Dr Ayesha said that acid had been on the body apparently to make identification impossible.

The doctor also said that Khan Muhammad Marri’s teenage daughter and his sons had also been sexually assaulted.

The sit-in ended after the government promised speedy justice to the victims’ family and other protesters.

Jaffar Khan Kakar is a freelance journalist. He tweets @Jaffar_Journo