Traders in Gwadar, Panjgur, and Turbat areas of Balochistan staged a shutter-down strike to denounce the deteriorating law and order situation and increasing kidnapping incidents. The strike, supported by major political parties and various segments of society, aimed to highlight the plight of a businessman, Shah Nawaz Gul Rind, who was abducted in December. The kidnappers have demanded a ransom of PKR 600 million for Rind’s release.
Financial institutions and commercial centers, both big and small, remained closed in solidarity with the kidnapped businessman from Turbat. The All Parties Alliance, comprising various political parties like The National Party, BNP, PPP, JUI, PTI, and BNP (Awami), called for the strike in Makran’s three districts – Gwadar, Panjgur, and Turbat. The alliance urged the government and law enforcement agencies to take swift action to secure Rind’s release and apprehend the perpetrators.
The protest rally in Panjgur town witnessed a large turnout of people, political workers, and traders expressing their concerns over the rising incidents of kidnappings for ransom and the worsening law and order scenario. Organized by the All Parties Citizen Action Committee of Makran (APCAM), the rally aimed to draw attention to the abduction of Gul Jan Rind and others in the district. Protesters marched through the streets carrying banners with demands for action and criticizing the government’s inaction.
Leaders of the protest rally, including APCACM Chairman Nawab Shambay Zai, BNP’s Mir Nazir Ahmed Baloch, National Party’s Mujeeb Rehman, and other political figures, emphasized the need for immediate measures to ensure the safe return of the abducted individuals. They questioned the effectiveness of law enforcement agencies in utilizing modern technology to track the victims and demanded the prompt arrest of the kidnappers responsible for the crimes.
