GWADAR: A sessions judge in Turbat has ordered the police to register an FIR against Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) officials involved in the alleged encounter of four men.

On Thursday, CTD claimed to have killed four ‘terrorists’ in an intelligence-based operation near the Pasni Road bus terminal in Turbat.

The family of one of the victims, Balaach Mola Bakhsh, has disputed CTD’s version and claimed he was in custody since his arrest on Oct 29 and killed in a fake encounter.

The family members, along with workers from different political parties, have been holding a sit-in with Mr Bakshs’s body at the Fida Shaheed Chowk since Thursday.

On the third day of protest on Saturday, the protesters marched on the main roads of Turbat and gathered in front of the sessions court.

A complete shutter-down strike has been observed in Turbat since Thursday, with shops, business centres and markets closed throughout the day.

According to reports, traffic between Turbat and other areas of Makran division has also been facing disruptions due to the protests.

Gwadar’s Haq Do Tehreek’s leader Mau­lana Hidayatur Reh­man, Voice for Baloch Missing Persons’ Mama Qadeer, Baloch Women Forum Chair­­person Dr Shali Bal­och, BNP-Mengal’s Sajid Tareen and political leaders also attended the protests on Saturday.

They demanded a judicial inquiry into the alleged encounters, war­ning the authorities that the sit-in with Mr Bakhsh’s body would continue until the arrest of CTD officials.

Turbat Deputy Comm­issioner Hasan Baloch held talks with protestors, who refused to call off the sit-in.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2023