BEIRUT: Human Rights Watch called on Iran Friday to investigate a deadly shooting by Revolutionary Guards against smugglers attempting to transport fuel into neighboring Pakistan for excessive use of force.
Monday’s shooting in the border area near the town of Saravan killed at least 10 people and wounded five, HRW said, citing Balochi activists.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had blocked a road used to transport fuel before apparently opening fire at people attempting to reopen the route, it added.
The action has prompted attacks by angry protesters on government buildings in both Saravan and the Sistan-Balochistan provincial capital Zahedan.
“The Iranian authorities should urgently conduct a transparent and impartial investigation into the shootings at the Saravan border,” said HRW Iran researcher Tara Sepehri Far.
“The authorities should hold those responsible for wrongdoing to account, appropriately compensate victims and ensure that border guards are taking the utmost precautions to respect the right to life and other human rights.”
Provincial deputy governor Mohammad-Hadi Marashi said Tuesday that the shooting had started from the Pakistani side of the border and one person had been killed and four wounded.
Sistan-Balochistan province has long been a security headache for the Iranian government.
Its large ethnic Baluch population, which staddles the frontier, has made it a flashpoint for cross-border attacks on government or Shiite targets by separatists and Sunni extremists.
HRW said the lack of employment opportunities in the province had left its ethnic Baluch population few alternatives to black market trading with their fellow Balochs across the border.
“Similar to the western provinces of Western Azerbaijan and Kurdistan (on the border with Iraq), its lack of economic opportunities has led many residents to engage in unlawful cross-border commerce with Pakistan,” the New York-based watchdog.
Human Rights Watch urges Iran to probe deadly shooting on Pakistan border
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Human Rights Watch urges Iran to probe deadly shooting on Pakistan border
- Monday’s shooting in the border area near the Iranian town of Saravan killed at least 10 people, HRW says
- Action has prompted attacks by angry protesters on government buildings in Saravan and Sistan-Balochistan provincial capital Zahedan
Pakistan stocks rebound on easing regional tensions, gain over 1,500 points
- The development came after Iran said it was keeping communication channels with Washington open amid cost-of-living protests
- It followed a threat by President Donald Trump last week to intervene militarily if Tehran continued cracking down on protesters
ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) edged higher on Tuesday as the benchmark index gained more than 1,500 points, with analysts citing easing regional tensions following signals of potential talks between Iran and the United States (US).
The benchmark KSE-100 index gained 1,567.36 points, or 0.86 percent, to close at 183,951.50 points, compared to the previous close of 182,384.14 points when the market had shed more than 2,000 points, according to PSX data.
Iran has been witnessing public unrest over worsening economic conditions. Around 2,000 people, including security personnel, have been killed in violent protests, Reuters reported, citing an Iranian official.
Tehran said on Monday that it was keeping communication channels with Washington open as US President Donald Trump imposed 25 percent tariffs on countries trading with the Islamic republic.
“Stocks showed sharp recovery at PSX after Iran and US signal talks over unrest in Iran,” Ahsan Mehanti, chief executive officer at Arif Habib Commodities, told Arab News.
“Surging global crude oil prices and speculations ahead of corporate results in the earnings season played a catalyst role in bullish close.”
Najeeb Ahmed Khan Warsi, digital and retail business officer at Al-Habib Capital Market, said the index had seen a three-day bearish streak.
“Geopolitics and global volatility driving downturn, profit-taking and economic concerns weigh in,” he added.
Meanwhile, Pakistani market research firm Topline Securities said the benchmark index ended the session on a “positive note” on Tuesday.
“Trading interest remained subdued, as total market volumes reached 1,033 million shares, while the value of shares traded stood at Rs62.9 billion,” it said in a daily market review on X.
United Bank Limited (UBL), National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Muslim Commercial Bank Limited (MCB), Lucky Cement Limited (LUCK) and Meezan Bank Limited (MEBL) jointly contributed 936 points to the index, according to the research firm.
Fauji Fertilizer Company Limited (FFC), Sazgar Engineering Works Limited (SAZEW) and Haleon Pakistan Limited (HALEON) collectively shaved 158 points off the index.
“Bank of Punjab (BOP) led the volume rankings, emerging as the most actively traded stock with 73 million shares,” Topline Securities added.
