Clash, scuffle scenes witnessed outside Balochistan Assembly

QUETTA: Scenes of clashes were witnessed outside Balochistan Assembly on Friday, when scores of Opposition MPAs and their supporters and locked the gates of the Assembly building as a protest.

Police and administration tried to force open the gate of MPA hostel. The police baton charged the protesters.

Police said that Opposition MPAs had locked all four doors of the Balochistan Assembly to stop the budget session from taking place today.

Chief Minister Balochistan Jam Kamal Khan and a few MPAs arrived at the assembly. Police van hit the assembly building gate and broke it open.

However, the session started after a delay of two hours.

Reports said that the Opposition’s protest and clashes with police intensified, when the chief minister Jam Kamal Khan arrived at the assembly. The house was been convened today (Friday) at 4:00pm to present the budget.

Clashes started when police arrived at the assembly gate from the MPA Hostel side and Opposition MPA and police exchanged heated words.

Police tried to open the gates of the assembly so that lawmakers can enter and the budget session can commence.

Two MPAs Babur Rahim and Abdul Wahid Siddiqui were injured when the gate was broken, Geo TV reported. MPA Ahmed Nawaz Baloch fell during a scuffle between the police and the members of the assembly.

Opposition parties in Balocistan Assembly and their supporters blocked national highways in half a dozen cities of the province since last four days.

The Opposition has accused the government of ignoring development projects in the budget and had warned that they would not let the provincial government present the budget on Friday.

The Opposition parties MPAs are demanding to included their proposed development projects in the provincial Annual Development Programme (ADP).

This is developing story 

Major highways closed in Balochistan as Opposition parties protest