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Protests erupt in Quetta over Hazara killings
QUETTA: Unknown assailants killed five people belonging to the Hazara community in Quetta's Bacha Khan Chowk area on Sunday evening.
Police sources said suspected militants opened fire at two shops near Bacha Khan Chowk, the city's commercial hub.
Police stated the deceased belonged to the Hazara community. Four people had died on the spot while there was one injured who was rushed to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Quetta for medical treatment. However, he later succumbed to his injuries.
Police said the assailants managed to escape from the scene. It was an act of targeted killing, police sources told Dawn.com.
Soon after the incident, markets and business establishments were closed and panic gripped the area. Traffic vanished from the roads.
In the past few days, more than half-a-dozen Hazara community were also gunned down in Quetta.
Police and personnel of Frontier Corps (FC) were called to the area to bring the situation under control. Balochistan Chief Minister Dr. Malik Baloch strongly condemned the incident and directed the police to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“Strict action will be taken against the elements involved in the target killing,” he said.
The chief minister expressed sympathy with the bereaved families and promised all possible help to them.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility following the attack.
Later, around 500 people from the community took to the streets in protest against the incident carrying the coffins of the deceased and refusing to bury them.
About 500 protesters placed the coffins of the victims on the road and chanted slogans against the government for failing to protect them.
“We are facing a genocide and the government makes only empty promises instead of providing protection,” Husnain Ali, a protester in his early 20s, told AFP.
He said he would sit on the road with the dead bodies until the perpetrators are arrested.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the firing incident in Quetta in which members of Hazara community lost their lives.
The prime minister sought a report over the incident and asked authorities to apprehend the criminals at the earliest.
He also extended his condolences to the bereaved families.
Balochistan has been experiencing incident violence and targeted killings since more than a decade. The largest province of the country by area, is home to a low-level insurgency by ethnic Baloch separatists. Al Qaeda-linked militants also operate in the region.
The province shares borders with Afghanistan and Iran.
Comments (72) Closed
Where is Pakistan going to? Killing innocents only to spread terror? Shame on the government for it protecting the masses...,their only concern is themselves and their families!
No end to misery of Hazaras and Balochis
Is the Jamaat-e-Islami launching any protest campaign against these killings or their protests only meant for Muslims of far-off lands?
Sad,Sad ,Sad :(
Another APC
When will this madness stop. Pray for those who departed, may their souls rest in peace.
Where is govt of Pmln in balochistan?
They have been killed just because of their faith ,,Pak Govt is unable to stop SHIA Genocide, and Shias are just doing protest after every incident ,,, How far ????
Zahra from USA
These terrorist are cowards killing innocents our religious leaders should condemn these killings as these coward anti Pakistan surely going to hottest hell
How about RAW ?
RIP..... The state is not able to protect its citizen...what sort of democracy it is???? All the parties are mingling with each other to grab some seats.. No one is dare to talk about such serious issues...
Government failed to protect innocents people. I sympathize with the grieved families and their friends.
It is very sad that the criminals attack the business hub and run away.
How many dead bodies do we need before the crack down on these hate preaching banned organisations begin. The irony is that they are aspiring now to go international by killing innocent people, all in the name of religion.
PML(N) government is only focused on the Punjab development projects,and they thought that again they will win the elections through the punjab peolple.
RIP
RAW(India) at work
It is all incompetency. We claim to be the best but we are the worst.Every country has enemies and it is the duty of the rulers/responsible at the helm to counter these activities and in failure to leave to others who are suitable for this post.These incompetent may even be tried in the court of law for their lapses.
@zahra How far????this is the point where our enemy want to take us
the weakest people in Pakistan and that too without any political support they are fighting on their own
On previous such occasions /incidents the Hazara community had held sit ins with coffins of upto 90 martyrs and had demanded for an army led targeted operation against the terrorists. However, the then rulers had not acceded to this demand which has allowed them to go on killing Hazaras at regular intervals. The CM's order to police to arrest the killers does not make much sense. Even if these killers are arrested it is not going to help much because their dens need to be demolished and for this army action is a must.
Well we all know who the perpetrators are and who funds them. I believe zarb e azb 2 will be launched in Balochistan in the near future.
Building a metro bus service will solve the problems? No state no government no writ.
Zrb-e-Azb in Balochistan is required as our beloved General said i think it's about time i am pretty sure the civilian and Military Govt got that in mind, i also would like to say that the locals should be vigilant talk to your neighbor's or inform your local's if you see any suspicious activity going on....... we all need to work together to over come this hatred
Question is what will it take to stop these innocents from dying on the streets? The way these people get killed is worse than how animals get butchered. Senseless and heartless killings of brothers, fathers, sons and family members has to stop. What is the agenda of the killers? I refuse to believe that it's only to spread terror as only Shia Hazaras are being targeted. What kind of religion tells you to kill like this? What are they following and why aren't people up in arms against them?
YOUR COMMENTBalochistan Chief Minister Dr. Malik Baloch strongly condemned the incident and directed the police to bring the perpetrators to justice. This the most crual n ridiculus statement, never seen perpetrators ever arrest. They talk about Burma but do see what is happening here!!
It seems curbing terrorism in traditional way will not work. We must find different ways that these terrorists and their sponsors have never thought about it. We must take ideas from people of Pakistan and who knows someone can give perfect solution that security agencies also never thought about it. My suggestion is that we should install security cameras on every signal light. By doing this we can track terrorist in and out routes. This really helps in western countries. It is very costly but very effective.
very sad news again
How long and how many Pakitanis ....why you used Hazara instead of Pakistanis...
Move all the hazara community into punjab or sindh provinces or gilgit-baltistan region for safety.
Its Mourn Night For Baluchistan, Government of Balchistan is unable to stop this nonsense. Quetta was gained its pace of peace but abruptly its changed in mourn.. Govt Should Lead Itself, So that provide protection to the citizens of Baluchistan including Hazara... This is responsibly of state to secure the masses.
TTP militants in one of their video said, they will go to Baluchistan and stir-up the Baloch insurgency against the state of Pak. They kill Pashtuns in Baloch areas and Hazaras in Pashtun area.
@Sandeep Singh : Miseries of Baluchis? Sardar ji, study some facts of the matter first. Hazaras are being killed by terrorists of Baluchi origin and their only hate against Hazaras people is their being Shia.
The carnage of Hazara Community remains the focus of culprits financed by foreign countries. We need to control the inflows as part of the ongoing War against these fanatics.
@zahra ..... The Hazara need to fight back. What do they have to lose? No protest from Iran. So much for the Ummah. Any peaceful Ummah has already lost to the violence of Islamic State.
Whenever security forces take action against the terrorists in Balochistan the media and so-called human rights activists go into high gear to politicise it with false stories of persecution. The situation will not improve until their supporters in the media and some NGOs are fixed up.
I have two comments to make here:
If RAW is involved, then BLA , TTP , ASWJ, Sipah-e-Sahaba, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi are all RAW agents and should be dealt as such. The Indian defense minister has said that his country is using such organizations.
I am pretty convinced that the police in that province knows who the culprit groups are.
Time to stop this nonsense if Pakistan has to remain as a state.
This has been going on for a long time. The same story is being repeated again and again. What is not clear is that where is law enforcement agency and what type of action plan they have to tackle with these religious fanatics. In fact they are beasts, they need to be wiped out.
Leaders U don't cry for Muslims in pakistan??
Are Hazaras human beings ? How come they are killed on regular basis like goats and sheep. Dr Malik proudly says that kidnapping for ransom are no more in Baluchistan . Ya right , because your all kidnappers are doing their business from Karachi on Karachites.
Their will be no peace in Pakistan until our impotnent courts starts provide justice
You reap what you sow.
Pak nation Worried about #RohingyaMuslims killings in mynmar but ignores #HazaraGenocide within its backyard.
And the government is making plans to protect Muslims in burma.
Can Nawaz form a cabinet committee for protection of Hazara shias of Pakistan who are being killed for years now? Or he only sympathizes with Rohingyas only?
Islam may be a good rrligion. But some of its followers are worst. They may be less than 10%, but the problem is that other 90% are either close their eyes or just oppose in internet forums.
@PHILOSOPHER (from Japan) foreign funded terrorists.
Pity on my Hazara comnunity
Although Hazara genocide is an old phenomenon in The city,however,many commentators believe that the innocent Hazara Merchants are killed owing to their strong hold in competitive markets of capital Quetta.They have unique facial features, for which it is easy for the human butchers to trace them down.Sadly,no commendable measures have been hitherto taken to guarantee their safety.while the culprits move freely in broad daylight.
every day killing,government taking no safety measures and blaming others?
Why there is no end to such brutal killing? If it is not a reflection of government's failure to protect citizens then what is it?
@Zak Your work ends then.
@Kahn;
'Leaders U don't cry for Muslims in Pakistan??"
Our leaders don't cry for anybody anywhere.
Somebody was crying for peole killed in Kashmir and Rohingyas.. First keep your house in order
@lafanga , if you are talking about genocide of Baluchis, then yes, it was launched long back, and is still in action.
@shahid, and what if they steal all security cameras, sell them on ebay and buy more weapons with the money?
As long as Metro is running . Daily killing reduces the population. good policy I like Sharif Brothers.
Ok but let us worry for Gaza and Burma...
@PHILOSOPHER (from Japan) they will be serious when this incident will happen in their homes
Let's protest the killings of Rohingya Muslims in Burma. Never mind the genocide of Hazaras in Pakistan.
Every one knows that Balochistan govt. is incompetent. Is operation against Baloch liberation movement is being carried out by provincial government? or by the permission of provincial government? If not, then why action is not being taken by these terrorists? Some thing fishy!!
Is it right to blame foreign agencies for our own incompetency...??
PAK ARMY is fighting the war on terror for the peace in Asia and other parts of the world. History is witness that PAK ARMY has fought a mini world war against Russian for the safety of Asia, warm waters and for the rest of world.
If you can't accept reality then you will blame to Other...
This assailant will be continued on the minorities b/c the majority is either keeping quiet or not coming out vehemently as they should. Even their Ulmas are not condemning these heinous acts. BUT if they continue this silence, sooner or later they will be the victim too. As we all know what you sow shall you reap.
Enough is enough. The government should crack down on ASWJ and LeJ who are responsible for the brutal slaughter of this innocent community. Giving VVIP protocol to its leaders clearly indicate the motives of the powers that be. This will not be tolerated any longer. The policy of votes for appeasement will not be acceptable any longer.
@ibrahim So what's wrong with showing solidarity for Muslims in "far off" lands?
@Syed Ali Anwer The govt should crackdown on LeJ and ASWJ ? But then what about the inflow of petro dollars ? It is this foreign funding for terrorist organisations which helps them in escaping any kind of action from our sold out rulers.
PM condemns CM condemns COAS condemns Condemn - Condemn - Condemn Such an easy thing to do. isn't it?
How and when will the spilling of innocent blood stop!
The Hazara should start returning fire. Protests won't save their lives, they have to save their own lives. They are ducks on the water.
@Sagar Before stealing, it would be recorded in the camera who was stealing. Also people around them can take pictures of theives in their cell phones and give to security agencies. Find these culprits and equally punished them