Rally held to protest against sectarian killings

By: Bari Baloch | Published: September 26, 2011

QUETTA - Different Shia organisations on Sunday took out a rally to protest the targeted killing of members of Shia community in Balochistan and demanded for deployment of Army in Quetta.
The leaders and activists of Majlis Wahdat-ul-Muslimeen, Shia Ulema Council, Shia Conference and Hazara Qaumi Jirga participated in the rally which after marching through various roads of the City gathered outside Musa Check Post at Quetta Cantt where they staged a sit-in.
Participants of rally were shouting slogans against target killing of Shia Muslims and failure of govt to arrest the culprits.
Addressing the protesters, Ashraf Zehdi, Allama Mehdi Najafi, Jama Asadi, Qaum Changezai, Sardar Sadat Hazara and Abdul Ali crticised provincial and Federal governments, saying they had miserably failed to stop incidents of sectarian target killing and violence in the province.
‘Members of Shia community hailing from every segment of life have been targeted and killed’, they said, adding, that government had failed to arrest the culprits and bring them to book.
They said hundreds of innocent people have been killed in incidents of targeted killing which indicate the inability of government to control law and order.
‘We want deployment of Army in Quetta city for maintaining law and order’, they demanded, and,added, until and unless their demand is accepted they would not call off their demo.
They alleged that govt was also backing some banned outfits involved in the incidents of sectarian killing and warned if incidents of sectarian violence and target killing were not stopped the situation would be more complicated.
They demanded for immediate end of alleged genocide of people of Hazara community and the authorities concerned must take practical steps in this connection.
They announced that besides Pakistan, Shia community on October 1st would hold demos against target killings in US, Australia and other countries.
Later on, Shia leaders were called to Cantt area where they held meeting with senior Army officials and apprised them of their grievances. After the meeting, Shia leaders told media persons that Army officials had ensured them that they would convey their demands and a reservation to high-ups of the government.
After the assurance of senior Army officials, the protesters called off their sit-in and dispersed peacefully.

THE NATION

Mastung attack: Pilgrims going to Iran must obtain NoC, AG tells judge

By Muhammad Kazim
Published: September 26, 2011

Pakistani Shiite Muslims shout slogans against the killing of community members in Quetta on September 21, 2011. PHOTO: AFP
QUETTA: The division bench of the Balochistan High Court heard the suo motu case of the Matsung incident on Monday.
Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Essa and Justice Mohammad Asim Kakkar were hearing the case of the Mastung attack in which at least 26 people were killed last week.
(Read more: 29 killed in Mastung, Quetta ambushes)
Advocate General of Balochistan, Mr Amanullah Kanrani appeared before the bench and submitted a report on behalf of the Balochistan government.
Kanrani said a high power committee has been constituted under the Home Department, which will investigate the security lapses that resulted in the death of 26 people.
He also added that the number of police and security officials have been increased in the province to improve the security situation.
Kanrani also told the court that no pilgrim can go to Iran without obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NoC) from the Home Department of the province. After being issued an NoC, adequate security arrangement will be made for the pilgrims, he said.
The investigation of this matter has been taken from the levies force and given to the Crime Investigation Department (CID).
The court said the government should take this matter seriously and that an experienced officer should be appointed for the investigation of this case.

The Express Tribune

Comment by Gorgh

It is sadening to hear that AG Balochistan impose an act / demand from people which directly or indirectly mean subjucation of rights of the people guranteed to them by the Constitution of Pakistan; further griefing is that, the demand of such document (NOC) is made before Chief Justice of High Court, who is supposed to be the custodian of the Constitution of Pakistan. One wonder, was the imposition of NOC on people is studied, was its repercussion / future implications analysed/assessed. What course of action will be adopted for people proceeding for performance of Umra & Hajj. Do they also req to obtain NOC for the performance of Umar & Hajj to Saudi Arabia ( Mecca) from Home Dept of Govt of Balochistan besides getting Visa for the purpose.

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Meeto Award: First Afghan female mayor awarded for her work

ISLAMABAD:
Azra Jafari, the first female mayor in Afghanistan, was awarded the Meeto Memorial Award (MMA) at Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) on Thursday for her work.
People from different countries of South Asia attended the award ceremony, which was organised by the MMA trust in collaboration with NGOs Rozan and Sungi. Asma Jahangir, General Secretary Supreme Court Bar Association, and Hameeda Hossain, women rights’ activist from Bangladesh, were also present at the occasion.
Jafari was chosen for the award because of her work and commitment towards social development. In December 2008, after being appointed the major of Nili, she became the first female mayor in Afghanistan.
The first MMA was given in 2009 to Anusheh Anadil, a Bangladeshi singer and peace activist, during an award ceremony in New Delhi. The 2010 MMA award was given to Akeela Naz from Pakistan.
The award was set up in the memory of Meeto (Kamaljit Bhasin-Malik), an Indian scholar and activist.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 23rd, 2011.