One dead, four injured in Balochistan violence
QUETTA: At least one person was killed and four others injured on Wednesday in a firing incident in Liaquat Bazaar area of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan.
Police said the incident forced shopkeepers to shut down their shutters, resulting in Liaquat Bazaar, Sattar Road and other commercial parts of Quetta to be closed.
"Miscreants opened firing in different parts of the city and caused panic," police said in a press release.
The injured were immediately rushed to civil hospital Quetta for medical treatment.
"The condition of two of the injured seems to be serious," a duty doctor who requested not to be named told Dawn.com.
An angry mob later burnt tires at Jinnah Road, Liaquat Bazaar, Bacha Khan Chowk and Qandahari Bazaar.
The protesters pelted stones at vehicles and set fire to a motorcycle in the city.
The situation prompted the Balochistan government to deploy frontier corps and a large contingent of police and Balochistan Constabulary to avert any major untoward incident.
"The situation is now under control with the support of the masses," police said.
Throughout the day, panic prevailed in the city as police and security forces patrolled all sensitive areas of Quetta.
Most of the citizens were confined to their homes in commercial areas of Quetta where the angry mob was protesting.
Similarly, there was a traffic jam as a result of the protest demonstrations.
"We faced problems because road blockades were everywhere," Dr. Irfan Tareen, a well-know physician, told Dawn.com.
All political and religious parties disowned miscreants who pelted stones and were responsible for aerial firing in the city.
Police said cases have been lodged against unknown miscreants for firing incident in City Police Station.