Balochistan minister denies having private jail after three bullet-riddled bodies found

Quetta, Feb 21 (IANS) Balochistans Minister for Construction and Communications, Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran, on Tuesday denied having a private jail after bullet-riddled bodies of a woman and her two sons were found from a well near his residence in Barkhan district on Monday night, media reports said.

The victims, a woman and two youths, were identified by the police as Giran Naz, age 40-45, wife of Khan Muhammad Marri, and her two sons, Mohammad Nawaz, aged 20-25, and Abdul Qadir, aged 15-20, Dawn reported.

A press release issued by the police said the bodies, which were in sacks, were found at around 8 p.m. on Monday. The station house officer (SHO) of Barkhan police station was informed about the corpses in the well.

“As soon as the SHO was informed about the incident, he reached the site with his police party,” the statement said.

The bodies were then recovered from the well and transported to the civil hospital. They were identified by Abdul Qayoom Bijrani Marri, whom the police described as an heir. The bodies were handed over to him after the completion of legal requirements, the press release stated, Dawn reported.

Talking to Dawn.com, Khan Muhammad — the husband of the slain woman — alleged that in 2019, his wife and seven children were imprisoned in Khetran’s private jail for not testifying in a conflict case between Khetran and his son, Sardar Inam Khetran.

He said that a video of his wife had surfaced on a website after which the bodies were found in a well in a far-flung area. Khan Muhammad alleged that his family was killed after being tortured.

Khan Muhammad also said that the funeral prayers for the deceased were offered and the family was now heading to Quetta with the bodies to protest in front of the Chief Minister’s house or the high court, Dawn reported.

Protesters reached Quetta later in the day with the bodies and staged a sit-in outside the Red Zone while chanting slogans against the minister.

–IANS

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