JAGHORI

Refugee tells Afghan story in images

Jim O’Rourke
September 3, 2011

Abdul Karim Hekmat arrived in Australia in 2001, one of 170 asylum seekers crammed onto a leaking fishing boat for a dangerous five-day voyage from Indonesia.
The then 20-year-old Afghan risked the journey to Ashmore Reef, off Australia’s northwest coast, after fleeing Taliban persecution in his homeland.
Mr Hekmat is from the Hazara minority, Shiite Muslims who live in the predominantly Sunni Muslim country. He said the Hazara suffer at the hands of the hardline Taliban as well as enduring political, cultural and economic discrimination from the majority Pashtun and Tajik ethnic groups. Some of his relatives were tortured by the Taliban.


Now an Australian citizen, a youth worker and freelance writer, he has graduated with an honours degree in communications and social inquiry from the University of Technology, Sydney.
To document his people’s ongoing battle for survival, he travelled last year to his home provence of Ghazni, armed with a camera.
An exhibition of his photographs depicting the Hazaras’ personal struggle in coping with their homes, businesses and schools being targeted by the Taliban opens at UTS tomorrow.
Mr Hekmat said the Hazaras are also discriminated against by the Afghan government.
He said the Australian government insists many Hazara do not need protection and in January this year signed an agreement with the Afghan government to repatriate 49 Hazara refugees, including a 15-year-old boy.
There are about 2400 Afghan asylum seekers in detention waiting for final determination of their refugee status.
Mr Hekmat feared many of them would have been sent to Malaysia as part of the government’s refugee swap scheme, and miss out on a chance to settle in Australia.
But the High Court decision last week that the so-called Malaysia solution was unlawful has given him hope they may eventually be able to stay.
‘‘The High Court decision was very welcome news, but we still don’t know where they will end up.
‘‘The Hazara are still being killed by the Taliban. The Afghan government is not passing on the benefits from the billions of dollars it receives in overseas aid. It not is not providing for their basic needs.
‘‘Australia should tear up the agreement with Afghanistan to send the Hazara home.’’
‘‘Unsafe Haven: Hazaras in Afghanistan’’, opens tomorrow, UTS Tower Foyer, Level 4, 15 Broadway, Ultimo.

Source,

The Sydney Morning Herald

President condemns Quetta blast

ISLAMABAD, Aug 31 (APP): President Asif Ali Zardari Wednesday strongly condemned the blast in Quetta that killed and injured several innocent people and termed it a heinous act. In a message from Urumqi (China) the President expressed his heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their loved ones. He asked the provincial authorities to investigate the matter and do all to arrest the masterminds. The President directed the provincial authorities to ensure that best possible medical care is provided to the injured.

Associated Press of Pakistan

Car Bomb (and suicide bomber) Kills 10 (Hazaras) After Eid Prayers in Pakistan

Posted Wednesday, August 31st, 2011 at 10:00 am
Pakistani police say a suspected suicide car bomber killed 10 people, including women and children, after morning prayers at the start of Eid al-Fitr in southwestern Baluchistan province.
Authorities say hundreds of people were leaving a Shi'ite mosque in Quetta when the bomb exploded in a nearby parking lot.
Eid al-Fitr is a three-day Muslim festival celebrating the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
Police believe the bomber was targeting the mosque, but could not get close enough because the road was blocked.
At least 20 people were wounded. The explosion also set several vehicles on fire and damaged at least one nearby building.
There was no immediately claim of reasonability for the attack.
Quetta is home to both Taliban militants and nationalists who have fought against the government for decades.
Pakistan also has a long history of sectarian violence between the country's majority Sunni-Muslims and the significant Shi'ite minority.

Voice of America

PM condemns blast in Quetta

ISLAMABAD, Aug 31 (APP): Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday strongly condemned the blast in Quetta which resulted in the loss of precious lives and injuries to several others. Expressing heartfelt condolences with the victims’ families, the Prime Minister said that those elements playing with lives of the innocent people would not escape the wrath of Allah Almighty and law of the land. The Prime Minister directed the authorities concerned to provide best medical care to the injured.

Associated Press of Pakistan

کوئٹہ میں بم دھماکہ، گیارہ ہلاک

کوئٹہ میں بم دھماکہ، گیارہ ہلاک

زخمی اور ہلاک ہونے والوں میں عورتیں اور بچے بھی شامل ہیں

پاکستان کے صوبہ بلوچستان کے دارالحکومت کوئٹہ میں ایک بم دھماکےمیں گیارہ افراد ہلاک اور اکیس زخمی ہوگئے ہیں۔

دھماکے میں ہلاک اور زخمی ہونے والے بیشتر افراد کا تعلق شیعہ مسلک سے ہے۔

یہ دھماکہ مری آباد کے علاقے میں واقع گلستان روڈ پر اس وقت ہوا جب لوگ عید کی نماز ادا کرنے کے بعد واپس اپنے گھروں کی جانب جا رہے تھے۔

دھماکے میں زخمی اور ہلاک ہونے والوں میں عورتیں اور بچے بھی شامل ہیں۔ لاشوں اور زخمیوں کو فوری طور پر کوئٹہ کے سول ہسپتال اور سی ایم ایچ منتقل کر دیا گیا جہاں بعض کی حالت تشویشناک ہے۔

کوئٹہ سے بی بی سی کے نامہ نگار ایوب ترین کے مطابق طبی عملے کا کہنا ہے کہ ہسپتالوں میں دس لاشیں اور بائیس زخمیوں کو لایا گیا تھا جہاں زخمیوں میں شامل ایک شخص ہلاک ہو گیا۔

پولیس حکام کا کہنا ہے کہ دھماکہ کار پارکنگ میں کھڑی گاڑی میں نصب ریموٹ کنٹرول بم پھٹنے سے ہوا۔ دھماکے سے جائے وقوعہ پر کھڑی متعدد گاڑیوں کو نقصان پہنچا اور ان میں آگ لگ گئی۔

اس واقعہ کے بعد سکیورٹی اہلکاروں کی بھاری نفری موقع پر پہنچ گئی اور علاقے کو گھیرے میں لے لیا۔

وزیراعلٰی بلوچستان نواب اسلم رئیسانی نے اس واقعے کی مذمت کی ہے اور پولیس کو دھماکے کے ذمہ داروں کے خلاف فوری کارروائی کا حکم دیا ہے۔

ادھر ہزارہ ڈیموکریٹک پارٹی کے چیئرمین عبدالخالق ہزارہ نے دھماکے کی مذمت کرتے ہوئے صوبے اور بالخصوص کوئٹہ شہر میں شیعہ مسلک سے تعلق رکھنے والے مسلمانوں کے خلاف کارروائیوں پر تشویش ظاہر کی ہے۔

انہوں نے بلوچستان کی حکومت سے مطالبہ کیا ہے کہ اس قسم کی کارروائیاں کرنے والے افراد کے خلاف سخت ایکشن لیا جائے۔

Source,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/pakistan/2011/08/110831_quetta_blast_zs.shtml

Quetta: Hundreds lose lives in sectarian, ethnic and tribal violence; Samaa TV

Staff Report

QUETTA: Unending spell of sectarian, ethnic, tribal and tribal violence has claimed hundreds of innocent lives in Quetta in recent years.

On the other hand, police have blamed non-cooperation from the public for their failure to prevent such attacks.

Thousands of people have fallen prey to target killings, sectarianism, ethnic and tribal clashes and other violent incidents in the provincial capital of Balochistan.

According to official figures, 380 people were killed in 2008, 333 in 2009 and 318 were targeted in 2010. Over the first seven months of the current year, more than 200 people have already lost their lives. But police say their performance is satisfactory.

Experts say that police should be empowered to curb the crimes in Balochistan so that peace could be restored in the restive province. SAMAA