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Hub Chowki, an industrial city in Balochistan, was rocked by a protest on Thursday as hundreds of citizens of the area came together to raise their voices against a violent crossfire that took place between two rival election candidates and their supporters recently, according to The Balochistan Post.
According to the report, violence erupted near Civic Centre, where the votes of the PB-21 constituency were being recounted. Both sides declared their victory after the 2024 general elections in Pakistan. The Balochistan Post stated further in its report that the political candidates involved in the crossfire were Ali Hassan Zehri from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Bhootani group. The crossfire between the two rival groups left 2 people dead and 11 injured. However, the authorities intervened later. One of the victims of the crossfire, identified as Sikkandar Chatna, belonged to the Bhootani group. The city administration imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 in Hub Chowki and banned pillion riding, carrying weapons, and political gatherings for a month, according to the report. The protestors at the Hub Chowki, as reported in the same news piece, blocked roads demanding that the culprits of the 'heinous act' be arrested. The protestors claimed further that the supporters of Zehri were openly flaunting their weapons at that time, and the administration supported them, instead of bringing the culprits to justice. Additionally, local sources cited in the Balochistan Post report claimed that the police were negotiating with the people of Bhootani Group over the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) against the PPP supporters. A delegation of the Bhootani group also met with the SP of Hub Chowki. The Bhootani group, according to the report, claimed that their party workers were peaceful till the PPP members mounted a violent attack on them. The PPP members, as per the report, were protesting against the alleged rigging in the Pakistan General Elections 2024 outside the presiding officer's chamber. (ANI)
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