Marri sit-in called off in Quetta after recovery of Barkhan family from captivity

• Marri's relatives refuse to end the demonstration.
• "Our demands have been met," APMI leaders say.
• Share Marri's wife and daughter to be sent for medical check-up.

QUETTA: As some angry demonstrators continue their protest in the city’s red zone, the All Pakistan Marri Ittehad (APMI) announced calling off its sit-in on Friday following the recovery of Khan Muhammad Marri’s family members from Barkhan, a district of Balochistan.

Marri earlier alleged that his family members were held in a private jail of Balochistan Minister for Construction and Communications Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran.

While his wife and five children have been recovered, bodies of his three deceased children were found in a well in Kohlu. The gruesome incident came into the spotlight after the video of a woman — wife of Marri who was earlier presumed dead but was later recovered — with the Holy Quran in her hands was released on social media.

Meanwhile, leaders of APMI Mehruddin Marri and Jehangir Marri announced the development after being asked by Senator Agha Umar Ahmedzai, brother of the Khan of Kalat Mir Ahmed Khan Ahmadzai.

Representatives of the tribal jirga reached the sit-in spot under Ahmedzai’s leadership.

However, relatives of the deceased, Marri tribesmen including those from the Balochistan Students Organisation (BSO), at the sit-in have refused to end their protest. They have also denied handing over the bodies for burial.

The provincial government has requested the remaining protesters to end the sit-in after all their demands were met including the recovery of Marri’s family members and Khetran’s arrest.

“Our demands have been met. We announce the ending of the sit-in. Our other demands have also been met,” Mehruddin Marri said while speaking during his announcement.

He added that their decision, to end the sit-in, came after Khetran’s arrest and the recovery of Khan Muhammad Marri’s family.

“Granaz and her daughter [Marri's wife and daughter] will be taken to Karachi for a medical check-up, while the bodies will be taken for forensics. The announcement of their burial will be made later," he said.

On the other hand, a meeting between Khan Muhammad Marri and his family has also taken place today in Quetta.

According to the police, Marri also reunited with his family after his arrival in the provincial capital city. He and his family members have been taken into police custody.

“Recovered woman and children will be presented in the judicial magistrate 12’s court where their statements will be recorded before them,” police said.

DNAs samples of the recovered individuals, to check the possibility of sexual abuse, will also be taken. They will be handed over to Khan Muhammad Marri after legal requirements are completed, the police said.

Marri, too, thanked the protesters, the APMI, police, provincial administration and media, saying that his family has been freed after immense cooperation.

Meanwhile, a district and sessions court in Quetta also granted police's crime branch Khetran’s 10-day physical remand for his alleged connection with the gruesome murder of three people whose bullet-riddled bodies were found in a well in Barkhan on Monday night.

Khetran was brought to the court amid tight security. He made a victory sign before being produced before the court of Judicial Magistrate Sameena Nasreen.