LAHORE: The Machh tragedy seems to gathering condemnation, with more and more voices, both political and civil, joining the course of criticism.

On Thursday, the first salvo was shot by Jamaat-i-Islami emir Sirajul Haq who left for Quetta by road to express solidarity with the Hazara community.

Before embarking on his journey, he said the Machh incident was a heart-wrenching tragedy and Prime Minister Imran Khan had only rubbed salt into the wounds of the Hazaras by refusing to visit them for condolence.

“We have reached a point where life, property and honour of everyone are on the line,” Mr Haq said.

“The JI does not have financial sources like other big parties to travel quickly but we are going by road to stand by the Hazaras in their hour of need and to attend the sit-in.”

He said the PTI came to power by making tall claims of providing livelihood to millions of people, building houses for the poor and middle class and providing full protection to lives and property of the masses.

“But the people have started feeling insecure in every city and town and they are becoming victims of even the country’s own forces as the incident of killing of a youth in Islamabad was the latest proof of it,” he said.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2021