KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Wednesday unanimously adopted two clubbed resolutions to condemn the brutal killing of 11 coal miners belonging to Hazara community, asking Prime Minister Imran Khan to visit the sit-in being held by bereaved families in Quetta as per their demand.

One of the resolutions was presented by Pakistan Peoples Party’s Syeda Shehla Raza and the other jointly by Mohammad Hussain Khan of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and Arsalan Taj of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf. The two resolutions were clubbed as they were identical.

While the demand regarding the PM’s visit to the sit-in was not incorporated in the text of either resolution, the provincial assembly members including PTI’s parliamentary leader Haleem Adil Sheikh asked him to visit the sit-in as the protestors wanted.

PA members condemn Mach slaughter

PPP’s Shehla Raza said that 11 miners were brutally killed after being kidnapped but the prime minister didn’t bother to visit the sit-in despite repeated demands of the protestors. “The prime minister should go to Quetta at the earliest,” she demanded.

She said that all the men of an ill-fated family were killed and there was no one to take their bodies to the graveyard for burials.

The PPP lawmaker said that operation against terrorists was conducted during her party’s government on the directives of then president Asif Ali Zardari and the heirs were also compensated after similar sort of incidents. “They (Hazara community) should be given proper security,” she asserted.

Sindh Information Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said that implementation of National Action Plan — which he said was halted after the PTI came into power — was need of the hour.

He said that anti-Pakistan forces were behind this heinous incident.

The minister said that the prime minister should visit the sit-in on humanitarian grounds as the protestors were sitting in extremely cold weather.

MQM-P’s Mohammad Hussain said that Hazara community was being targeted since long, but the federal governments in the past as well as incumbent PTI-led federal government had failed to ensure protection of their lives.

He demanded of the federal and Balochistan governments to pay heed to this serious issue and save valuable human lives.

Nusrat Sehar Abbasi of the Grand Democratic Alliance said that she was short of words to speak on this tragic incident, adding that the entire assembly expressed solidarity with the bereaved families.

She also asked the prime minister to visit the sit-in at Quetta-Sibi Highway (Western Bypass) near Hazara Town where the dead bodies were placed. “Prime Minister Sahib should go to Quetta,” she said.

Haleem Adil Sheikh said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had already made it clear that they would not let the terrorists go scot-free as they were enemies of Pakistan, enemies of Islam and enemies of peace.

He said that Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Zulfi Bukhari, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Syed Ali Haider Zaidi had met with the protestors and listened to their demands. “But we still say, Khan Sahib (Prime Minster) should go as the bereaved families want him to be there,” he added.

Dr Sohrab Sarki of the PPP said that Pakistan Democratic Movement should join the protestors if the prime minister didn’t go to Quetta.

He said that innocent Hazara students were being targeted in universities, pilgrims on their way to Iran and businessmen at workplaces.

Later, the house was adjourned till Thursday (today).

Published in Dawn, January 7th, 2021