QUETTA: The president of the Hazara Democratic Party (HDP), Abdul Khaliq Hazara, has said that “incompetence of security forces” is responsible for Saturday’s suicide attack in Hazara Town.

The suicide blast left six people, including a woman and a child, dead and more than two dozen people injured.

“The attack indicates a security lapse,” he said at a press conference after burial of the blast victims on Sunday.

“How an 18-year-old boy entered the well-guarded area of Hazara Town and carried out the attack,” he said in an apparent reference to the suicide attacker and called for an inquiry to fix responsibility for the security failure.

Jaish-ul-Islam claims responsibility for Quetta suicide attack

He said the attack proved that more steps were needed to ensure safety of people living in Hazara Town.

He criticised the provincial government for its failure to protect the life and property of people. “The law and order situation has not improved in the city despite tall claims of the government.”

The HDP leader urged the government to provide compensation to the families of victims and proper medical treatment to the injured.

Meanwhile, the proscribed Jaish-ul-Islam has claimed responsibility for the suicide attack. “Our organisation has carried out the attack,” Azam Tariq, a spokesman for the outfit, told reporters in a phone call from an unspecified place.

Earlier, those killed in the attack were buried in Hazara Town graveyard amid tight security. Hundreds of people, including women and children, attended the funeral. Leaders of the Hazara Democratic Party, Majlis-i-Wahdatul Muslimeen and Shia Conference were also present.

The local administration had deployed heavy contingents of the Frontier Corps, Anti-Terrorist Force and police in and around the graveyard on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2014