QUETTA, Nov 18: The body of Mir Aimal Kasi, who was executed in the United States last week for murdering two CIA agents, was greeted in his native city on Monday by crowds of supporters waving black flags, cursing the US and vowing to avenge his death.
A plane carrying Kasi’s coffin and two of his brothers who had escorted it from the US arrived here just before 3.30pm.
Hundreds of supporters wearing headbands inscribed with the words “Aimal Kasi, Martyr” greeted the flight, shouting angry slogans to denounce the US over the execution and hailing Kasi as a martyr.
A dark wooden coffin with a tiny bouquet of red flowers placed on top was unloaded from the plane into an ambulance waiting on the tarmac, as crowds outside the airport gate chanted, “We are proud of you Kasi,” and, “Down with the US.”
Others chanted, “We will take revenge”, “We will continue Kasi’s mission.”
“Hundreds of people have gathered here to pay him respect because he laid down his life for a cause, to attack anti-Muslim forces,” tribal kinsman Ishaq Kasi told AFP.
A convoy of cars, motorcycles and minibuses escorted the ambulance to Kasi’s home in a procession that took two hours to cover the 10km from the airport.
More than a thousand people walked behind, carrying Kasi’s portrait and making victory signs with their hands.
The crowds swelled to some 3,000 by the time it reached Kasi’s home, where dozens of armed policemen stood guard.
Up to 300 armed policemen lining the roads stood back from the volatile mourners, who wailed “Allah Akbar” and showered the coffin with rose petals.
The crowd also turned their anger on the government of President Pervez Musharraf, for its extensive cooperation with Washington in its so-called war on terror, and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, whom they blamed for allowing US agents to capture Kasi in 1997.
Truckloads of paramilitary troops and anti-riot police patrolled Quetta’s streets to quell possible unrest, following days of angry anti-US protests in the lead-up to his execution.
Black flags and banners fluttered throughout the city, many hoisted from shops whose owners have declared two days of mourning.
Hameedullah, brother of Amil Kasi, told reporters on arrival at Karachi airport that his brother had “lived like a brave man and died with no regrets.”
“His death will not help America. Hatred against the US will increase in the Muslim world,” he declared.
Kasi’s family has decided to hold funeral prayers in Ayub stadium on Tuesday. A procession will start from the home at 10am.
Calling a strike for Tuesday until Kasi’s burial, Quetta Traders’ Association secretary-general Ibrahim Kasi praised him for “sacrificing his life to the cause of Muslims.”
Kasi’s family has called for calm after protests last week that hailed Kasi as a hero and threatened retaliation against the United States.
“We are peaceful people and we want to bury him in a peaceful manner,” Hameedullah Kasi told mourners outside his home. —AFP/Reuters
QUETTA, Nov 18: The body of Mir Aimal Kasi, who was executed in the United States last week for murdering two CIA agents, was greeted in his native city on Monday by crowds of supporters waving black flags, cursing the US and vowing to avenge his death.
