By Our Staff Reporter
QUETTA: Tribesmen blocked national highway linking Quetta with Karachi and Taftan to protest over the establishment of proposed quarantine center in MianGhundi on Wednesday. The protesting tribesmen demanded of the Balochistan government not to keep the people coming from Iran into the quarantine center. This will cause the spread of corona virus in MianGhundi, the tribesmen complained. The protest has come a day after the health department Balochistan confirmed first corona case in the province. A 12 year old boy was tested positive for the novel corona virus on Tuesday night in Quetta.
Quetta-Karachi and Taftan highway was opened after successful negotiations between the deputy commissioner and protesters. Long queues of vehicles could be witnessed on both sides of the road as the tribesmen blocked the road.
The government of Balochistan has decided to establish a quarantine center in Quetta’s Hazar Ganji area to quarantine people coming from Iran. Government has already established two isolation centers at Fatima Jinnah Chest and TB hospital and Sheikh Zayed hospital to keep corona virus suspected patients.
Members of civil society led by Wadood Jamal, a human rights activist also staged a protest demonstration outside Quetta Press Club and demanded of the government to safely shift the Zaireen and others coming from Iran to their native provinces. They said government must halt the spread of corona virus in the province and take prompt measures to stop its spread. Ghullam Nabi Marri, the central of Balochistan National Party (Mengal), Qayoum Kakar of Jamat e Islami and others also participated in the protest.
The protesters were carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans demanding Balochistan government to take practical steps to halt the deadly virus.
