Pashtunkhwa National Awami Party Condemns Police Attack on Kassi Tribe’s Peaceful Camp in Quetta

Quetta:The Pashtunkhwa National Awami Party (PNA) has strongly condemned the unlawful, lethal attack, police brutality, baton charge, and the severe injury of dozens of Kassi tribe members, including notable leaders like Malik Mohammad Arif Khan Kassi, Malik Yusuf Khan Kassi, Arbab Nadeem Khan Kassi, and Mahmood Zaman, during a peaceful camp set up on their ancestral land at Bacha Khan Chowk. The party also condemned the illegal arrests of these individuals and dozens of others during the operation.

According to the press release, the land on which the camp was established, located near the old meat market, is the ancestral land of the Kassi tribe. The land had been leased to the government during the colonial period through an agreement, which has now expired. Following the expiration of this agreement, the court has ruled that the Kassi tribe is the rightful owner of the land. However, the district administration is allegedly trying to seize the land through force and fraudulent documents, a move the party has termed unacceptable and deplorable.

The statement further highlighted that both during the British era and in the years that followed, many government offices, including the Governor House on Zarghoon Road and the Chief Minister’s House, as well as various government institutions in Quetta, were built on the Kassi tribe’s lands under agreements with the tribe. The party emphasized that now that the agreements with these institutions have expired, the land belongs to the Kassi tribe. The forcible seizure of this land using fake documents is totally unjustifiable, according to the PNA.

The press release also condemned the police’s violent actions against the Kassi tribe members at Bacha Khan Chowk, describing it as an “unprovoked, illegal, and murderous attack” on the peaceful demonstrators. The incident, which resulted in numerous injuries and arrests, was termed as an “anti-people” act, and the party called it unforgivable.

The PNA urged the provincial Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary to use their wisdom and acknowledge the ground realities. The party called for the immediate cessation of the unlawful efforts to seize the Kassi tribe’s ancestral land, along with the dismissal and disciplinary action against the officers and personnel involved in the attack. They also demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the Kassi tribe’s leaders and youth.

In the statement, the PNA warned the authorities that if the unjust actions continue, the people of Quetta will be left with no choice but to resort to massive protests, which could lead to a long-lasting disruption of the peace in the city. The party urged the authorities to take action to avoid any further escalation.