PESHAWAR, Jan 13: The members of Shia community continued to stage protest demonstrations and rallies on Sunday in various parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata against sectarian violence in the country.

In Peshawar, the protesters brought out a rally from Qissa Khwani Bazaar and staged a sit-in outside Governor’s House against killing of Hazara people in the blasts occurred in Quetta on Thursday.

The protesters were led by former Senator Allama Jawad Hadi. Turi Bangash Supreme Council president Gulab Hussain, Parachinar Youth Organisation chairman Syed Ali Shah, Imamia Students Organisation president Tauseef Khan were also present on the occasion.“We are not going to end the sit-in until the demands of Quetta’s protesters are fulfilled,” said Mr Hadi. He said that such protests were being organised in every big city of the country. The protest would continue till the end of sit-in in Quetta, he added.

The protesters said that they wanted to raise a voice against the killing of Shia Muslims, who were targeted in Quetta, Peshawar, Karachi, Gilgit and other cities.

They condemned the target killing of Shia in the country and demanded of the government to take concrete steps to protect them.

The sit-in was a show of solidarity with the families of those about 100 people, who were killed in three blasts in Quetta on Thursday. The families of the blast victims had launched a protest in Quetta since Friday.

Roads leading to Governor’s House, a sensitive zone of the provincial capital, also remained blocked on Sunday evening owing to the sit-in. However, people continued to pour in and join the protest till filing of this report.

In Kohat, hundreds of protesters blocked Hangu-Parachinar Highway on Sunday against the killing of people in Quetta blasts.

The protesters chanted slogans and condemned killing of about 100 people in three bomb blasts in Quetta on Thursday.

The residents of Kohat and adjacent areas blocked the road at Kacha Pakha to express solidarity the families of blast victims. They also criticised government for what they called its failure to provide security to citizens.

The district administration sent officials to hold negotiations with the protesters to open the road but they insisted that the protest would continue until the people of Quetta called it off.

In Kurram Agency, tribal people held a demonstration to protest the Quetta carnage.

People from different walks of life including religious scholars, political activists and social workers participated in the protest rally. They marched on the road and staged a sit-in at Shaheed Park in Parachinar, the administrative headquarters of Kurram Agency.

The protesters chanted slogans against the government for its failure to take action against the elements involved in Quetta carnage.

In Dera Ismail Khan, a large of number of people, including women, took to the streets and organised a protest rally to condemn the Quetta bomb blasts. The protesters marched on the road and after passing through various bazaars staged a sit-in at Fawara Chowk. They chanted slogans against the government for its failure to provide protection to people.