QUETTA: The Balochistan government has extended special powers granted to the Frontier Corps (FC) for another two months.
According to an announcement by the provincial Home Secretary Syed Asadur Rehman Gilani, the paramilitary force will continue to exercise police powers for two more months to maintain law and order in the province.
The FC was first given the powers to carry out raids and detain and interrogate suspects in January 2012 after the provincial coalition government led by Nawab Aslam Raisani was sent home and governor rule was imposed in Balochistan on the demand of Hazara Shia community.
The community had called for the drastic measures during its days-long protest against the killing of over 100 people in a car and suicide bombing on Alamdar Road.
A large number of Hazara people had staged a sit-in on the road along with coffins of the victims and refused to bury them till their demands were met. To express solidarity with them, people of Shia community had staged sit-ins in different cities of the country.
The then prime minister Raja Pervez Asharf had visited Quetta and, after negotiations with the leaders of the Hazara community, dismissed the provincial government and imposed governor rule in the province.
The FC was armed with special powers for three months after which the arrangement has been extended every three months.
The latest extension in FC powers is in continuation of this process.