Hazara killings: Complete strike observed in Quetta

By Shehzad Baloch
Published: April 15, 2012


Police and security forces also booked over 200 people for violating the ban on pillion riding in the city. PHOTO: PPI/ FILE

QUETTA: A complete shutter down and wheel-jam strike was observed in the provincial capital, paralysing the business activities on Sunday.

Stringent security measures were taken to maintain law and order, with the deployment of paramilitary troops Frontier Corps (FC), police and other law enforcing agencies in and around Quetta.

The strike was called by the Hazara Democratic Party (HDP) and was backed by the Balochistan National Party (BNP) and Jamiat-i-Ulema Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) to protest against the recent wave of sectarian targeted killings that left 18 killed in the last four days.

All the shops, markets, eateries and even chemists shops in Liaquat Bazar, Mezan Chowk, Abdul Sattar Road, Prince Road, Jinnah Road, Zarghoon Road, Brewery Road, Hazara Town and Marriabad remained closed.

The strike was observed partially in Saryab and the nearby areas as markets and shops were functional as usual.

It is pertinent to mention that half of the business community in Quetta observe weekly holiday on Friday while remaining shut their businesses on Sunday.

Police and security forces also booked over 200 people for violating the ban on pillion riding in the city.

Security personnel increased their patrolling in Quetta to restore order. However, panic and fear continued to plague the city as people preferred to stay indoors and most of the streets and roads presented a deserted look, with very thin traffic plying on the roads.

Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani presided over a high level meeting to review the law and order situation in the aftermath of targeted killings of Hazara community members.

Provincial Ministers, Inspector General Police (IG) Balochistan, Home Secretary and other senior officials attended the meeting, which was convened to devise a strategy to deal with the situation. The meeting was underway when this report was filed.

The HDP Chief Abdul Khaliq Hazara in his statement said his community was being compelled to pick up arms to protect its members from the targeted attacks.




The Express Tribune

15-day toll rises to 26; strike call for today: Eight Hazaras shot dead in Quetta

From the Newspaper | Saleem Shahid |

QUETTA, April 14: At least eight members of the Shia Hazara community and a policeman were killed in three attacks here on Saturday.

After the attacks and subsequent violence, the administration called out Frontier Corps in the city. The paramilitaries started taking up positions at important places in the evening.

“Seven people were killed in firing on two vehicles on Brewery Road and Subzal Road,” DIG (Operation) Qazi Wahid told Dawn.
Saturday’s killings took the number of Hazara Shias killed in Quetta and its vicinity during the past fortnight to 26.

The Hazara Democratic Party has called upon the community to observe a strike on Sunday to “register outrage over the unabated killings”.

Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani, who was in Islamabad, expressed sorrow over the deaths and ordered officials concerned to “take all possible steps for arresting the culprits”.

The Balochistan governor had earlier this week criticised the provincial government, warning that the army could be called out if the administration failed to protect life and property.

Soon after Saturday’s attacks, angry protesters blocked the road that leads from Quetta to Hazara town.

They torched a private van and a motorcycle in Bolan Medical College Hospital.

A student was injured when unknown people fired in the air. Shots were fired at police, too.

The protesters also burnt tyres at different points in Quetta and some men riding motorcycles fired blank shots, triggering panic.

Shops and business centres were closed and people started rushing home as fear overtook the city after masked men riding motorcycles fired indiscriminately in shopping areas.

The terrorists first struck at Killi Ibrahimzai, where four motorcyclists fired at a yellow cab that was taking six people to Quetta from Hazara town.

“They opened fire on the car from two directions, killing all the six passengers. They suffered bullet wounds to their heads,” police said.

In the other shooting, two men riding a motorcycle attacked another vehicle on Subzal Road.

One man was killed on the spot and another was critically injured. He died in the Combined Military Hospital.

A policeman, Mohammad Panha, was shot dead in Shalkot, near Quetta, when he was going to his place of duty.

According to some TV reports, some suspects were taken into custody.

OUTRAGE:

                

 Members of the Hazara community converged on Brewery Road in their hundreds and at the Bolan Medical College Hospital, where bodies were placed for identification. The enraged crowd pelted vehicles with stones and blocked roads.

The demonstrators set on fire a van and a motorcycle parked in the hospital and also attacked some shops.

Groups of protesters burnt tyres at Meezan Chowk and in some other places across the Balochistan capital.

However, security personnel dispersed them after firing shots in the air.

Home Secretary Naseebullah Bazai immediately called out the Frontier Corps to control the situation.

“Ten FC battalions have been deployed in and around Quetta to restore peace and order,” official sources said.

Heavy contingents of FC, police and Balochistan Constabulary patrolled the road and streets of the provincial capital.

DAWN

Civil society protests Quetta killings

* Asks CJP to take suo motu notice of genocide at hands of terrorists

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Scores of activists belonging to Hazara Youth Islamabad and Baloch Friends on Saturday staged a protest demonstration in front of the National Press Club demanding the chief justice of Pakistan to take notice of ongoing genocide of the Hazara community.

Holding placards and banners inscribed with denunciation of Saturday’s killing in which at least seven people were shot dead in Quetta, the protesters demanded the government protect the community from target killers.

They also raised slogans against the government and law enforcement agencies’ inaction towards incidents of targeted killings in Quetta.

Addressing the participants, social activists Marvi Sirmed, Dr Farzana Bari and Workers Party leader Dr Asim Sajjad called upon Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to take suo motu notice of the deteriorating law and order situation in Quetta, particularly killings of Hazara people on sectarian basis. “People have pinned high hopes on the chief justice that he will provide us with justice,” they said.

“Since 1999, over 700 people of the community have been killed in different incidents of target killings and suicide attacks while there has been no progress against the culprits which strengthens the notion the government and law enforcement agencies are patronising the terrorists,” they said.

Social workers lamented that parliamentarians did not even have time to condemn these killings while the provincial government was also reluctant to take action against criminals.

They further said that history witnessed that Hazara community, comprising half a million peace-loving people, has no difference with other sects. However, for being peaceful, the community members are being victimised and killed by terrorists. “We believe no religion allows such inhumane act,” they maintained.

The speakers announced that they will register their protest with the international community since the provincial and the federal governments have failed to curb the unending targeted killings of the Hazara people and had given a ‘free hand’ to criminals.

However, the activists also appealed to all peace-loving citizens of the Pakistan, civil society, media, international NGOs, and law enforcement agencies to condemn systematic genocide of the community and start a crackdown against banned organisations to the save the province from an expected civil war.

They said that the province was on the brink of civil war; all the parties and responsible people have to show sincerity, otherwise the ongoing unrest will result in an unexpected crisis or a civil war.

Daily Times

Lekin - 14th April 2012

کوئٹہ: ہلاک ہونے والوں کی تعداد نو ہو گئی

آخری وقت اشاعت: اتوار 15 اپريل 2012 ,‭ 19:52 GMT 00:52 PST


بلوچستان کے دارالحکومت کوئٹہ میں سنیچر کے فائرنگ کے واقعات میں ہلاک ہونے والوں کی تعداد نو ہوگئی۔ دوسری جانب وزیراعلیٰ بلوچستان نے کوئٹہ میں قیام امن کے لیے اتوار کو علماء کا اجلاس طلب کرلیا ہے اور زاہرین کے تحفظ کے لیے سیکورٹی کے انتظامات مذید سخت کردیے گئے ہیں۔۔

کوئٹہ میں سنیچر کے روز فائرنگ کے واقعات میں زخمی ہونے والا ایک اور نوجوان زخموں کی تاب نہ لاتے ہوئے ہسپتال میں چل بسا جس سے ہلاکتوں کی تعداد نو تک پہنچ گئی جن میں سے آٹھ کا تعلق شیعہ مسلک اور ہزارہ قبیلے سے تھا۔

فائرنگ کے ان واقعات کےبعد کوئٹہ شہر میں دن بھر حالات کشیدہ رہے جس پرقابو پانے کے لیے حکومت نے فرنٹئیرکور کی دس پلاٹون طلب کر لی تھیں۔

دوسری جانب صوبائی سیکرٹری داخلہ نصیب اللہ بازئی کی صدارت میں ایک اہم اجلاس ہوا۔جس میں فیصلہ کیاگیا کہ کوئٹہ شہر میں قیام امن کے لیے دوسرے اضلاع سے دوسو اہلکار طلب کیے جائیں گے۔اس کے علاوہ ایران جانے والے زائرین پر حملوں کا خدشتہ ظاہرکیا گیا ہے۔
اس سلسلے میں ضلع کوئٹہ، مستونگ، نوشکی اور چاغی کے ڈپٹی کمشنروں کوہدایت کی گئی ہے کہ وہ فرقہ وارانہ دہشت گردی کی روک تھام کےلیے زائرین کی حفاظت کے لیے مزید سخت اقدامات کریں۔

وزارت داخلہ کے ذرائع کے مطابق وزیراعلیٰ بلوچستان نواب اسلم رئیسانی نے آج کوئٹہ میں ایک اعلیٰ سطحی اجلاس طلب کیا ہے جس میں آئی جی ایف سی اور آئی جی پولیس سمیت دیگرمتعلقہ حکام شرکت کریں گے۔جس کے بعد شیعہ سنی علماء کا اجلاس بھی ہوگا جس میں مذہبی بھائی چارے کو پروان چڑھانے اور امن کو یقینی بنانے کےلیے اہم فیصلے کیے جائیں گے۔

دوسری جانب شیعہ مسلک سے تعلق رکھنے والی مختلف تنظیموں نے ٹارگٹ کلنگ کے مسلسل واقعات کے خلاف اتوار کو کوئٹہ میں شٹرڈاؤن اور پہیہ جام ہڑتال کرنے کااعلان کیا ہے۔

ہزارہ قبیلے کی مختلف تنظیموں نے کوئٹہ میں ٹارگٹ کلنگ کی مذمت کرتے ہوئے صوبائی حکومت سے مستعفی ہونے اور گورنر راج نافذ کرنے کامطالبہ کیا ہے۔ انہوں نے خبردار کیا کہ آئندہ ایسے واقعات کے رونماء ہونے کے بعد جوکچھ ہوگا اس کی ذمہ داری حکومت پر عائد ہوگی۔ بقول ان کے سال دوہزار پانچ سے ٹارگٹ کلنگ میں اب تک ہزارہ قبیلے سے تعلق رکھنے والے چھ سوساٹھ افراد ہلاک جبکہ اس سے زیادہ زخمی ہوئے ہیں۔

یاد رہے کہ گزشتہ روز گورنر بلوچستان نواب ذوالفقار مگسی نے ایک اعلی سطحی اجلاس میں کوئٹہ شہر میں امن وامان کی صورتحال پر تشویش کااظہارکرتے ہوئے صوبائی حکومت کو سخت اقدامات کرنے کی ہدایت کی تھی۔

دوسری جانب ہزارہ قبیلے سے تعلق رکھنے والے سات افراد کو کوئٹہ کے ہزارہ ٹاؤن قبرستان میں سپردخاک کردیاگیا ہے۔

BBC URDU

Hazara Killing Report From Negaah TV Date 14 April 2012

In Session on Duniya News -- 14th Apr 2012 p1