QUETTA: Balochistan’s woman parliamentarians have strongly condemned the killing of a mother and her daughter in Nushki’s Killi Mengalabad, describing the attack on women inside their home as a “heinous act against humanity” and saying those responsible could not claim to represent or serve the Baloch people.
Speaking at a press conference at the Civil Secretariat on Sunday, Balochistan Assembly Deputy Speaker and Pakistan Peoples Party Women’s Wing provincial president Ghazala Gola, Adviser for Sports Meena Majeed, Education Minister Raheela Hamid Durrani and MPA Hadia Nawaz denounced the killings and demanded action against the perpetrators.
Sports Adviser Meena Majeed said the mother, Bibi Hanifa, was a government employee, while the family had been affected by floods and their house was rebuilt with the assistance of the Pakistan Army.
“The only fault of the mother and daughter was that they were living peacefully as ordinary citizens,” she said, questioning what kind of “Baloch identity or honour” allowed armed men to enter homes and kill women.
She said the banned militant group Tehrik-e-Taliban (Fitna al-Hindustan) was targeting not only security personnel but also innocent civilians, including women and children. She said the government and security forces were taking action against militants and would defeat elements seeking to destabilise Balochistan.
Ms Majeed urged citizens to help identify militants and play their role in countering terrorism. She also criticised the silence of organisations that claim to champion human rights, saying the killing of Bibi Hanifa and Hafsa was an attack on all peaceful and progressive people of Balochistan.
Education Minister Raheela Hamid Durrani said the killing of women inside their home was deeply disturbing and questioned the direction in which society was heading.
“It is difficult to understand how such violence can take place in the 21st century,” she said, adding that the killing of Bibi Hanifa and Bibi Hafsa was tragic and the absence of condemnation from various quarters was equally concerning.
She said women were protected under religious principles as well as international law, including during armed conflicts.
Deputy Speaker Ghazala Gola said the parliamentarians could not remain silent over the killings and vowed that those involved would be brought to justice. “As parliamentarians, we will continue to raise our voice for women’s rights,” she said.
The women lawmakers said the incident had caused grief across Nushki and Balochistan and called for collective efforts to counter terrorism and protect innocent citizens, particularly women and children.
