Salal Balouch

Quetta : 

* PMA to boycott polls in Chaman against doctor’s abduction

BW News Monitoring Desk: The increasing attacks on the political leaders and threats by the banned organisations have become a major security concern for engineers in Balochistan who are unwilling to perform their duties on the day of general elections.

Balochistan Engineers Association (BEA) General Secretary Ghulam Sarwar told APP on Tuesday that due to the warning issued by the banned Baloch organisations, engineers working across the province have declined to perform their duties. “Engineers, hundreds in number from across the province, mainly belonging to Kalat and Mekran Division have contacted BEA showing their reluctance to perform polls duty on May 11,” he said. 

He said that life of the engineers who were assigned duties on May 11 in the sensitive areas was at stake and they were afraid for their lives and also for the security of their family members. Sarwar said that the Balochistan chief secretary is on a visit to rural areas and BEA would submit a written apology requesting not to engage people of professional cadre for duties on May 11. He called upon the interim government to depute only the administration staff on election duty. 

It is noteworthy that the Balochistan Government Teachers Association has also refused to perform poll duties in 11 sensitive districts due to similar threats. They had already informed Balochistan’s interim chief minister about the situation. The provincial government is trying to convince the teachers to perform their duties and assured them of security. 

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Chaman chapter has decided to boycott polls in Chaman Qilla Abdullah district in protest against the kidnapping of a surgeon, Mubhassir Ahsan. They also announced to continue their strike demanding immediate recovery of the missing doctor. “Doctors would neither perform election duties nor cast vote on May 11,” PMA’s Qilla Abdullah General Secretary Dr Wali Jan said. He said that meeting of the district office-bearers of the association was held to discuss the future course of action after the failure of law enforcement agencies to recover the missing doctor of District Headquarters Hospital. The meeting expressed concern over the unabated incidents of the kidnapping of doctors in Balochistan. (Daily Times)