Four Detained Under Public Order Law After Ziarat Attack; JUI Alleges Political Victimization
Ziarat: Following the June 27 terrorist attack in Ziarat, the district administration has ordered the preventive detention of four individuals for one month under Section 3(1) of the Balochistan Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960, citing concerns over public safety and law and order.
According to the official notification, the detainees—Dilawar Khan Kakar, Maulvi Noor-ul-Haq, Noor Muhammad, and Muhammad Din—have been ordered to be transferred to Mach Jail in Kachhi district, where they will remain in custody for one month. During the detention period, only close blood relatives will be allowed visitation in accordance with prison regulations.
The district administration said the decision was taken after the June 27 terrorist attack at Prospect Point, a tourist site in Ziarat, during which the district’s Superintendent of Police, Frontier Corps (FC), and police checkpoints came under attack. The incident left four police personnel injured, one civilian dead, and another civilian wounded.
According to the deputy commissioner’s order, the detained individuals are accused of making anti-state speeches and slogans, inciting the public against state institutions, and interfering with official operations following the attack. Authorities also alleged that they staged a sit-in outside the Deputy Commissioner’s Office, which they said posed a potential threat to public order.
The administration emphasized that the detention is a preventive administrative measure intended to maintain law and order and is not a form of punishment. Security remains on high alert across Ziarat, with law enforcement agencies continuing patrols, checkpoints, and intelligence-based operations.
Meanwhile, leaders of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) (JUI-F) strongly condemned the detention orders, describing them as an act of political victimization. Party leaders said those targeted are public representatives and warned that if the orders are not withdrawn immediately, JUI-F will launch a province-wide protest campaign, holding the district administration and provincial government responsible for the consequences.
Responding to the allegations, a spokesperson for Balochistan Food Minister Haji Noor Muhammad Khan Dummar rejected claims of political interference, stating that the action was taken on the recommendations of the District Law and Order Committee and law enforcement agencies under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance.
The spokesperson said the detention order was issued by the Deputy Commissioner under his legal authority and not on the instructions of any political figure. He added that if JUI-F has objections to the detention orders, it has the constitutional right to challenge them in court rather than criticize state institutions through the media. The spokesperson also maintained that the provincial government would respect any judicial decision on the matter.
