Monday, November 12, 2012
Gunmen Kill Three In Volatile Pakistani Province
November 12, 2012
Officials say gunmen have shot dead three Shi'ite Muslims and wounded two others in Pakistan's troubled southwestern province of Balochistan.
Officials said the shooting took place on November 12 in the town of Mach, some 70 kilometers southeast of the provincial capital, Quetta.
Local police officer Sher Ahmed said the three men from the Shi'ite Hazara community were killed and two others were wounded when gunmen on a motorbike sprayed bullets at two vegetable shops.
Balochistan is rife with Islamist militancy, sectarian violence between majority Sunnis and minority Shi'ite Muslims, and a regional insurgency waged by ethnic Balochi separatists.
In September, the advocacy group Human Rights Watch said more than 100 Shi'ites had been killed in sectarian attacks in Balochistan this year.
Officials say gunmen have shot dead three Shi'ite Muslims and wounded two others in Pakistan's troubled southwestern province of Balochistan.
Officials said the shooting took place on November 12 in the town of Mach, some 70 kilometers southeast of the provincial capital, Quetta.
Local police officer Sher Ahmed said the three men from the Shi'ite Hazara community were killed and two others were wounded when gunmen on a motorbike sprayed bullets at two vegetable shops.
Balochistan is rife with Islamist militancy, sectarian violence between majority Sunnis and minority Shi'ite Muslims, and a regional insurgency waged by ethnic Balochi separatists.
In September, the advocacy group Human Rights Watch said more than 100 Shi'ites had been killed in sectarian attacks in Balochistan this year.
فائرنگ سے ہزارہ برادری کے تین افراد ہلاک
آخری وقت اشاعت: پير 12 نومبر 2012 , 15:02 GMT 20:02 PST
پاکستان کے صوبہ بلوچستان کے علاقے مچھ میں حکام کے مطابق نامعلوم مسلح افراد کی فائرنگ سے ہزارہ برادری کے تین افراد ہلاک ہو گئے ہیں۔
مقامی انتظامیہ کے ذرائع کے مطابق ایک موٹر سائیکل پر سوار نامعلوم مسلح افراد کی ایک دکان پر فائرنگ کے نتیجے میں دو افراد زخمی بھی ہوئے ہیں۔
خیال رہے کہ صوبہ بلوچستان میں ہزارہ برادری پر آئے روز حملے ہوتے رہتے ہیں۔
ان حملوں کی وجہ سے نہ صرف ہزارہ برادری کی جانب سے کئی بار احتجاجی مظاہرے کیے جا چکے ہیں جبکہ حقوق
انسانی کی تنظیمیں ان حملے پر اپنے تحفظات کا اظہار کر چکی ہیں۔
Sunday, November 11, 2012
One more falls prey to Quetta violence
* Demonstration slams killings of Hazara people
QUETTA: A man was gunned down in Satellite Town area of the provincial capital on Sunday.
According to police sources, unidentified armed men on a motorcycle opened fire on a shop near Gol Masjid area of Satellite Town. Resultantly, the owner of the shop was killed on the spot. The body of the deceased was shifted to the Civil Hospital Quetta. He was identified as Manzoor Ahmed. The body was handed over to his relatives for burial after medico-legal formalities. A case has been registered against unidentified persons and investigation is underway.
Meanwhile, the Hazara Democratic Party (HDP) staged a protest demonstration outside the Quetta Press Club against the targeted killings of members of their community and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits. At least four Hazaras were gunned down in the provincial capital on Saturday in two separate incidents. The HDP members were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans demanding an end to Hazara killings. They chanted slogans against the government over its failure to provide security to the Hazara community.
The protesters also criticised the silence of certain quarters over the genocide of Hazara community, and demanded the government and other quarters concerned provide justice to Hazaras and bring the culprits to book as soon as possible. staff report
Govt under fire in Senate over Balochistan issue
By Mumtaz Alvi
Wednesday, November 07, 2012
From Print Edition
ISLAMABAD: Senate Tuesday resumed discussion on the motion on law and order situation in the country with particular reference to target killings and sectarian violence in Balochistan, Karachi and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Treasury and opposition senators spoke at length on the law and order situation, and some believed the state was patronising armed groups and even there was a demand that by involving all the stakeholders it should be decided whether Pakistan was to be run like a civilised state or not.
Maulana Adbul Ghafoor Haideri of JUI-F alleged that how could the law and order situation be controlled when so many influential figures, including ministers and legislators were involved in kidnapping for ransom and other criminal activities.
“Today kidnapping for ransom has become the highest paying business,” he remarked.About the Asghar Khan case judgement and the army chief’s speech, he said that when the state institutions would not act within their well-defined limits and resort to funding for achieving electoral results of their liking, there would be debates, and criticism would also be hurled at them.
The senator said there was a warning that the conduct of a certain institutions should not be discussed anywhere but if politicians committed a mistake, they were produced before courts. “But it is also said that a certain institution is being defamed through criticism. If someone commits wrong, he has to be held responsible for this,” he noted.
About Balochistan situation, he said things would not improve until the ‘powerful hand’ there reviewed its policies in the province. The National Party Senator, Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo, also charged that the state was involved in the law and order situation and patronised certain armed groups in Karachi and militant forces in Balochistan.
“Does this happen anywhere that a person, who confesses being a target killer, is set free due to lack of evidence? Has the state decided to keep promoting terrorists or will stop doing so from now on,” he wondered.
The senator said that the state was solely responsible for acts of terrorism and unfortunately the target killers were being freed and in this connection, he referred to ex-US ambassador Anne Patterson’s figures, leaked by the WikiLeaks about Karachi terrorists. “If these figures are correct, I don’t think, there will ever be peace in the port city,” he said.
Quoting from the figures, he said MQM had 15,000 armed personnel, different Sindhi and Baloch groups consisted of 3,500 persons while Taliban and other armed groups including mafias were estimated to be 15,000 persons. He wondered how and who would restore peace in Karachi if there were 30,000-35,000 armed and trained personnel active there.
“Each criminal has a connection with the state one way or the other. I mean they are backed by the state or its institutions be they the rangers or police etc,” he alleged.
The senator said the state would have to change its attitude and then a line or a strategy could be adopted to challenge the anti-state elements. He recalled how the state had supported Mujahideen in Afghanistan and then got them crushed by Taliban, and today, lashkars had been formed to eliminate Taliban.
He said same strategy was being followed in Balochistan, wherein the state backed one group to crush the other instead of acting itself against the enemy. He said an SMS was in circulation in Quetta about sharing information in case any Hazara was spotted in the provincial capital and the result was no Hazara student was going to the Balochistan University for the last five months. “Hazara community is confined to a particular area today,” he claimed.
He said there was no government in Balochistan and the same was mentioned by the apex court in its recent order but Islamabad was unmoved by it.
ANP’s Shahi Syed, Tahir Hussain Mashhadi of MQM and PPP’s Usman Saifullah also took part in the debate and called for functioning of all the state institutions within their constitutional ambits and the law taking its course against the terrorists and militants.
Earlier the firebrand PPP Senator, Faisal Raza Abidi, delivered a hard-hitting speech. His remarks were expunged by the chair. He protested against the decision of the chair.
Wednesday, November 07, 2012
From Print Edition
ISLAMABAD: Senate Tuesday resumed discussion on the motion on law and order situation in the country with particular reference to target killings and sectarian violence in Balochistan, Karachi and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Treasury and opposition senators spoke at length on the law and order situation, and some believed the state was patronising armed groups and even there was a demand that by involving all the stakeholders it should be decided whether Pakistan was to be run like a civilised state or not.
Maulana Adbul Ghafoor Haideri of JUI-F alleged that how could the law and order situation be controlled when so many influential figures, including ministers and legislators were involved in kidnapping for ransom and other criminal activities.
“Today kidnapping for ransom has become the highest paying business,” he remarked.About the Asghar Khan case judgement and the army chief’s speech, he said that when the state institutions would not act within their well-defined limits and resort to funding for achieving electoral results of their liking, there would be debates, and criticism would also be hurled at them.
The senator said there was a warning that the conduct of a certain institutions should not be discussed anywhere but if politicians committed a mistake, they were produced before courts. “But it is also said that a certain institution is being defamed through criticism. If someone commits wrong, he has to be held responsible for this,” he noted.
About Balochistan situation, he said things would not improve until the ‘powerful hand’ there reviewed its policies in the province. The National Party Senator, Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo, also charged that the state was involved in the law and order situation and patronised certain armed groups in Karachi and militant forces in Balochistan.
“Does this happen anywhere that a person, who confesses being a target killer, is set free due to lack of evidence? Has the state decided to keep promoting terrorists or will stop doing so from now on,” he wondered.
The senator said that the state was solely responsible for acts of terrorism and unfortunately the target killers were being freed and in this connection, he referred to ex-US ambassador Anne Patterson’s figures, leaked by the WikiLeaks about Karachi terrorists. “If these figures are correct, I don’t think, there will ever be peace in the port city,” he said.
Quoting from the figures, he said MQM had 15,000 armed personnel, different Sindhi and Baloch groups consisted of 3,500 persons while Taliban and other armed groups including mafias were estimated to be 15,000 persons. He wondered how and who would restore peace in Karachi if there were 30,000-35,000 armed and trained personnel active there.
“Each criminal has a connection with the state one way or the other. I mean they are backed by the state or its institutions be they the rangers or police etc,” he alleged.
The senator said the state would have to change its attitude and then a line or a strategy could be adopted to challenge the anti-state elements. He recalled how the state had supported Mujahideen in Afghanistan and then got them crushed by Taliban, and today, lashkars had been formed to eliminate Taliban.
He said same strategy was being followed in Balochistan, wherein the state backed one group to crush the other instead of acting itself against the enemy. He said an SMS was in circulation in Quetta about sharing information in case any Hazara was spotted in the provincial capital and the result was no Hazara student was going to the Balochistan University for the last five months. “Hazara community is confined to a particular area today,” he claimed.
He said there was no government in Balochistan and the same was mentioned by the apex court in its recent order but Islamabad was unmoved by it.
ANP’s Shahi Syed, Tahir Hussain Mashhadi of MQM and PPP’s Usman Saifullah also took part in the debate and called for functioning of all the state institutions within their constitutional ambits and the law taking its course against the terrorists and militants.
Earlier the firebrand PPP Senator, Faisal Raza Abidi, delivered a hard-hitting speech. His remarks were expunged by the chair. He protested against the decision of the chair.
Quetta: Hazaras protest against targeted killings
November 11, 2012 - Updated 1610 PKT
Quetta: Protesters belonging to Hazara Democratic Party (HDP) staged demonstration against the targeted killings of the members of the Hazara community, demanding arrest of the culprits, Geo News reported on Sunday.
Led by HDP Vice Chairman Mirza Hussain Hazara, the party workers chanted slogans against the Balochistan government for what they said its failure to curb the unending targeted killings.
Speaking on the occasion, party leaders condemned the killings of Hazaras and said the incidents of targeted killings were taking place in the city but the government had failed in discharging its duties.
They demanded of the government to immediately resign, as it had no right to rule after its failure in establishing its writ.
The Hazaras are the much-affected community of the sectarian targeted killings in volatile Balochistan province, facing ethnic and sectarian violence.
Quetta: Protesters belonging to Hazara Democratic Party (HDP) staged demonstration against the targeted killings of the members of the Hazara community, demanding arrest of the culprits, Geo News reported on Sunday.
Led by HDP Vice Chairman Mirza Hussain Hazara, the party workers chanted slogans against the Balochistan government for what they said its failure to curb the unending targeted killings.
Speaking on the occasion, party leaders condemned the killings of Hazaras and said the incidents of targeted killings were taking place in the city but the government had failed in discharging its duties.
They demanded of the government to immediately resign, as it had no right to rule after its failure in establishing its writ.
The Hazaras are the much-affected community of the sectarian targeted killings in volatile Balochistan province, facing ethnic and sectarian violence.
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