QUETTA: The Hazara community, which had been holding a protest since Friday’s suicide attack in the city’s vegetable market left 19 people dead, called off the sit-in on Monday night after the Minister of State for Interior, Shehryar Afridi, held negotiations with them.

Mr Afridi and Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Jamal Khan Alyani visited the camp of the protesters and met the leaders of the protesting Hazaras. The representatives of the community announced they had decided to end the protest after the minister assured them that the National Action Plan would be implemented without any discrimination and all-out efforts would be made for the arrest of the terrorists involved in the Hazarganji suicide attack.

“We will not leave alone the Hazara community in this tough situation and provide protection to them,” Mr Afridi said.

All the roads and the Western Bypass area were reopened after the sit-in was called off.

Earlier in the day, Mr Afridi and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfiqar Ali Bukhari visited Imambargah Hazara Town and met relatives of those who were killed in the suicide attack. Eight members of the Hazara community were among the dead.

Afridi, Balochistan CM hold negotiations with protesters

They offered their condolences over the loss of lives and expressed sympathy with the grieving families.

The two were accompanied by Home Minister Ziaullah Langove, Inspector General of the Balochistan Police Mohsin Hassan Butt and elders of the local Shia community.

Mr Afridi condemned the attack and termed it an attempt to destabilise the country.

The two members of the federal cabinet also held a meeting with Chief Minister Alyani.

The meeting, which was also attended by Home Minister Langove, Chief Secretary Dr Akhtar Nazeer, the IG Police and Frontier Corps IG Maj Gen Fayyaz Hussain Shah, reviewed security situation in the province.

The meeting termed the recent attacks in Quetta and Chaman conspiracies against stability in the country.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Afridi lauded the efforts of the provincial government for restoring peace in Balochistan and assured help of the federal government. He said making Balochistan a peaceful place was Prime Minister Imran Khan’s top priority, adding the prime minister had sent him to Quetta with this special massage.

He said the issues being faced by Balochistan could not be resolved without cooperation between the federal and provincial governments. A lack of cooperation between the federal and provincial governments would favour anti-state elements, he added.

Mr Alyani said Balochistan was facing a difficult time. He said the provincial government was using all of its resources for bringing improvement in the security situation.

He expressed satisfaction over the security arrangements made for the protection of Hazara community.

Addressing a press conference later, Mr Afridi said that enemies of the country wanted to create unrest in Pakistan to achieve their nefarious designs.

He said there was no doubt that the Hazara community had been subjected to barbarism.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2019