THIS is with reference to the situationer ‘Riverine region in the crosshairs of militia violence’ (May 12). Following the killing of a son of a Bugti community’s chieftain allegedly by the Shar community, the Bugtis had taken up arms against the accused in the riverine area. The vicious onslaught led to the death of two persons, while half-a-dozen members of the Shar community were left wounded. If the word of the mouth is to be believed, the Bugtis had attacked the rivals with the support of police, which showed the helplessness of the local administration in such cases.

Giving a free hand to one community to use prohibited arms against another community will result in lasting impacts for both the state and the communities. Clashes in the region take little time in getting transformed into large-scale bloodbath, which is unfortunate. Also, such incidents reflect badly on the ability of the state to establish its writ. This, in turn, encourages the criminals to have a field day whenever they feel like. The authorities concerned must take cautious steps because a single miscalculated act can lead to something seriously tragic.

Amir Shah
Zhob

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2024