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QUETTA, March 10: About 185 persons have registered themselves on Tuesday, to give their statements and evidence to the judicial commission, formed to probe into the Ashura day killings on March 2.
The commission, headed by Justice Nadir Khan Durani, Judge of the Balochistan High Court recorded the statements of 18 persons on the first day of proceedings. About 50 persons were killed and 160 were injured when terrorists attacked an Ashura procession.
Among those who recorded their statements were Syed Zahir Shah, Nazim-i-Ala of the Balochistan Matami Committee, Taj Muhammad, Ali Madad, Abdul Ghani, Muhammad Hussain, Shabir Hussain, Idress, Syed Muhammad Shah, Syed Wasi Shah, Azizullah, Manzoor Hussain, Zulfiqar, Hamid Hussain, Khadam Ali, Ali Akbar, Abdul Karim, and Zafar Ali.
Ultimatum: Two factions of local traders said they had given the government a deadline of March 13 for the payment of compensation for losses suffered during the rioting on March 2 (Ashura), otherwise they would announce a protest schedule by Sunday this week.
Speaking at a joint news conference at the press club here on Tuesday, Abdur Rahim Kakar, president of his faction of the Anjuman-i-Tajran and Syed Amaruddin Agha, president of his faction of the Markaz-i-Anjuman-i-Tajran have demanded that the government impose a ban on religious processions transiting through their business area, as it was becoming a serious threat to businessmen and citizens.
Both factions said they had given the government a March 13 deadline to pay compensation to those persons whose properties were burnt by miscreants on Ashura day.
BRIEFING: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Mir Mohammad Yousuf has said an impartial committee is being set up for strictly implementing recommendations of the judicial commission set up to investigate Quetta carnage.
"The judicial commission will submit its report to the government within 15 days," he stated on Wednesday while briefing newsmen at the Chief Minister's House. "I assure that justice will be provided to every citizen and those found guilty will not be spared," he said and urged people to wait for the findings of the judicial commission.
The chief minister said the government had also decided to set up a jirga, comprising religious leaders representing different schools of thought and tribal elders, to promote unity and integrity among the people of Balochistan.
"On jirga recommendations, the government would formulate a concrete line of action," he said. He also said that a committee led by the Quetta Nazim and a sub-committee of the cabinet were working to assess the damage and loss of the public property by miscreants. On their recommendations, compensation would be paid, he added.
The chief minister urged people representing different schools of thought, the masses and mediamen to play their positive and effective role in eliminating sectarian hatred and extremism from society.
