Two Christians, who worked as sweepers in Turbat, were gunned down Thursday by a Baloch militant group. The two victims were identified as Musthtaq Masih and Ilyas Masih.
"The killings took place within the limits of the municipal corporation," Deputy Commissioner of Kech District Abdul Hameed Abro told this correspondent on phone from Turbat. However, he did not have any further information,
According, to the local sources they two were in their 40s and employed as sanitary workers with Turbat Municipal Corporation. Turbat is hometown of Balochistan chief minister Dr. Malik Baloch, the two sweepers went to Zor Bazar in Turbat and were busy opening a blocked sewerage line as the dirty water was overflowing on the road when they were gunned down. Most Muslims all over Pakistan shun the work of opening sewer lines and the low paid job is done mainly by Christians.
The Baloch Liberation Tigers, a pseudonym used by the Baloch Liberation Front of Dr. Allah Nazar Baloch, owned responsibility for the killings.
Senator Mr Hasil Bizenjo strongly condemned the killings of the poor Christians. "This shameful act is a huge disgrace for the Baloch struggle for rights," Bizenjo said on phone from Quetta, capital of Balochistan. "The killings show the depths of the political abyss the militants have fallen into," he added.
Pakistan Christian Congress also strongly condemned the killings of the two innocent Christian sweepers.
"Killing poor people and laborers is the height of inhumanity," P.C.C. president Dr. Nazir Bhatti, who is based in Philadelphia, said. "The difference between Taliban and the Baloch militants is fast eroding as their brutal tactics are now basically one," Dr. Bhatti said.
Apparently, the main sin of the two victims was they spoke Punjabi. Most Christians in Pakistan belong to Punjab, the dominant of the four provinces, but they eke out a slave-like existence working as sweepers.
< Masti Khan Report >
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