QUETTA: A sit-in committee comprising relatives of police officers killed in a lethal terrorist assault in Ziarat concluded its demonstration on Saturday after securing an agreement with the Balochistan government late the previous night.
On July 6, 27 police officers lost their lives in a terrorist attack on a police post in Balochistan’s Ziarat district. The families of the slain personnel had maintained a sit-in at Quetta’s Koila Phatak since July 9, alongside the bodies of the martyrs.
“The sit-in has been called off; the bodies of seven martyrs were moved to their home regions in the early hours, and Koila Phatak has reopened to traffic after 10 days,” the committee stated following the late Friday night accord.
The provincial administration accepted all demands of the grieving families. Their central request was the formation of a judicial commission to probe the Ziarat and Hanna Urak incidents that claimed 32 police and civilian lives.
On July 5, armed assailants struck the Hanna Urak Valley on Quetta’s outskirts, killing five tribesmen, wounding eight, and abducting 11 others.
In the July 6 raid on a police post at Ziarat’s Mangi Dam pumping station, nine officers died on site while 18 more were executed after abduction. Security forces launched a multi-day clearance operation, Operation Shaban, that by Thursday had killed 91 terrorists.
The pact was signed for the government by Home Minister Ziaullah Langove, with PkMAP Secretary General Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal representing the protesting families.
The Balochistan government has begun immediate execution of the agreement’s terms.
As a tribute to the “invaluable sacrifices” of the fallen officers, Koila Phatak Chowk was renamed Shuhada-i-Ziarat Chowk effective immediately per a July 17 notification.
Similarly, government buildings, police stations, schools, and health facilities in Ziarat district will be named after the martyrs who died combating terrorism.
The principal secretary to the Balochistan chief minister directed home, education, and health departments to finalize the renaming and secure required approvals.
Official notices confirm four Ziarat police stations will be renamed: Sarmaksi to Shaheed Hasratullah Kakar; Dosarka Shabozai to Shaheed Jandad Khan; Mangi to Shaheed Zainullah Panezai; and Zandra to Shaheed Major Zaman Panezai.
Three schools will also be renamed: Government Boys High School Kan Depo to Shaheed Constable Mustafa Khan; Government Girls Middle School Kan Depo to Shaheed Constable Muhammad Asif; and Government Boys High School Kaus Gharbi to Shaheed Constable Muhammad Usman.
Two health centers will be retitled: Rural Health Centre Ahmadun to Shaheed Constable Azhar Ahmed Ahmad Damar; and BHU Kaus Gharbi to Shaheed Fareedullah BHU Kaus Gharbi.
Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti affirmed the government is fully implementing the accord with the martyrs’ families.
He noted the slain officers who died “in defence of the country, for peace, and for public safety are a pride of the nation.”
“Naming institutions after them is a fitting homage that preserves their legacy and inspires future generations,” he said.
The chief minister reiterated the state’s pledge to honor the martyrs and families and execute all commitments timely.
On July 10, Hanna Urak victims’ families ended their five-day Airport Road sit-in after 11 abducted comrades returned; Ziarat officers’ families continued protesting until now.
