Section 144 Imposed in Balochistan Amid Protests Against Government’s Hospital Privatization Plan

Quetta:In response to ongoing protests by the Grand Health Alliance (GHA) against the Balochistan government’s announcement to run public hospitals under a public-private partnership model, the provincial government has imposed Section 144 across the province. This move comes as protests have led to the closure of various national highways in the region.

Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind informed the media that multiple highways had been blocked in protest since yesterday, with demonstrations taking place at three locations across the province. He reiterated that Chief Minister Sardar Abdul Quddus Bizenjo had made it clear from the outset that peaceful protests were the right of every citizen, but blocking national highways would not be tolerated by the provincial government.

Rind stressed that while the government supports the right to protest, it would not allow the inconvenience of innocent citizens. He further clarified that the provincial government was not privatizing the public hospitals in Balochistan, despite the ongoing protests. The government is committed to adhering to the directives of the Balochistan High Court in managing the protests.

Meanwhile, in Quetta, the Grand Health Alliance announced that they were ending their protest near the Balochistan High Court. GHA Chairman Bahar Shah stated that they were calling off the sit-in after receiving assurances from the court. He mentioned that the court had promised to implement their demands within a day. Shah further emphasized that if their demands were not met, they would resign from their positions and intensify their protests. The demonstrations had been staged against the government’s decision to operate public hospitals under a public-private partnership model.

The protests and subsequent government response highlight the growing tension over the issue of hospital privatization in Balochistan, with both the government and healthcare workers at odds over the future of the province’s public health system.