QUETTA, Feb 17: A strike was observed in the city on Sunday in response to a call by Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen, Hazara Democratic Party and Tehrik-i-Jaferia against the killing of scores of people belonging to the Shia Hazara community in a bomb attack on Saturday.

All shopping centres and markets were shut to express solidarity with grieving families. Traffic remained thin and people stayed indoors as the situation was tense.

Several political parties and the Anjuman-i-Tajran had supported the strike call and asked the traders to express solidarity with victim families and keep their businesses closed.

A group of protesters gathered at Brewery Road, burnt tyres and shouted slogans against the government and law-enforcement agencies for their failure to curb violence against the Hazara community.

Activists of the Hazara Students Federation carrying banners and placards staged a demonstration in front of the press club.

Speaking at the gathering, HSF president Asmatullah Yari condemned bomb blasts and targeted attacks in which hundreds of innocent Hazaras had been killed.

He appealed to members of the Hazara community living abroad to hold rallies in front of the offices of the United Nations, international human rights organisations and embassies of important countries to highlight barbaric acts against the Hazara people.

Meanwhile, Hazara Democratic Party’s vice chairman Azizullah Hazara threatened at a press conference that rallies would be staged outside the Balochistan High Court daily if the government failed to arrest within 48 hours the terrorists responsible for Saturday’s terrorist attack.

The HDP leader said it was the government responsibility to control violence against Shia people who were being made targeted frequently, and warned that the rulers’ apathy would push the country towards civil war.