Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Four days on, 87 Hazaras finally find resting place
By Our Correspondents
Published: January 15, 2013
Members of the Hazara community shout slogans during the Quetta blasts’ victims’ funeral ceremony. PHOTO: AFP
QUETTA:
The bodies of 87 slain Hazaras, which had been accompanied by thousands of mourners from the Shia Hazara community on Alamdar Road for a full four days, were finally laid to rest on Monday.
Some 17 bodies, unidentifiable due to the impact of the blast, wait for their families to recognise and bury them.
The Hazara Town graveyard, Barory, and Ganje Shuhada graveyard, Alamdar Road, receivedthe victims of the January 10 bomb blasts that claimed more than a 100 lives, only after the community’s elders announced that the protest was officially over. Their decision followed Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf’s announcement that some of the community’s demands would be met, including the dismissal of the provincial assembly and the imposition of governor rule.
The struggle for the community, however, is far from over – this may very well just be the beginning.
“We trust the decision of the elders of our tribe. However, we are wary of trusting the government’s promises. It may be just a pacifier … We have some degree of satisfaction over governor rule in the province, and (the fact that) false cases against our Hazara brothers in police stations and courts (are) being withdrawn, along with release of those Hazaras who are in prisons,” said a Hazara community member who returned home for the first time since the blast, while talking to The Express Tribune. Yet, he shared, his community was not happy with how “giving more power to Frontier Corps (FC) is being dealt with. It reeks of deception. Only time will tell”.
Another member of the community pointed out that most who had lost their lives on that fateful day were young boys volunteering to save those who were injured in the initial explosion. “The first blast had fewer casualties. That was actually bait to draw as many men as possible to the site, so that a maximum number of men lose their lives in the attack,” he said.
The man told about how he lost his 23-year-old cousin who was about to get married soon. “He called us after the second blast saying ‘I have lost one arm and one leg, and I am bleeding too much. Come soon. There are others here who are in worse condition than me’. By the time we covered the 45 minute distance from Barory to Alamdar road, he was gone. We have been through hell. We are still living it.”
Sitting out in the freezing cold for days has left the Hazara community physically exhausted. There has been a spread of respiratory and chest infections, as well as joint aches and pains. Emotionally too, the deaths and protests have taken their toll. Yet, their resolve is unwavering.
“We are not going to give up the struggle. But from the government and the people of Pakistan, all we can request is, ‘bring the culprits to task’. You all know who they are. And if you cannot do that, at least stop supporting them,” said a female Hazara activist, adding that death does not scare her any more.
What has driven the besieged minority is a wave of support which brought several parts of the country to a standstill over the last few days, leaving a fearful government resorting to jamming mobile phone networks once again.
“It is heartening to see how people all over Pakistan and in fact all over the world have woken up to the cause of Hazaras. The turnout of women at the sit-in is no small feat, considering how protective and conservative Hazaras and generally the people of the province are when it comes to their women,” a Hazara activist said. The campaigner added, “It was excruciatingly painful to make our dead wait to be buried. But I think the sacrifice of those who died will not have gone in vain.”
A spokesperson on behalf of Shia Hazara activists gave this statement of gratitude: “To all our honourable brothers and sisters who joined hands with us in these painful moments – We are thankful to those mothers the world over who have trained their children to support the oppressed when in pain …”
It went on to add: “We pray to Allah that you all never have to suffer how we have suffered. Rest assured, if ever a time comes when God forbid you all need support, the Shia Hazaras will be by your side, and will not hesitate from giving any sacrifice to safeguard you. May God be with you. From the Shia Hazara community.”
Demand for army
Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen Central Secretary Raja Nasir Abbas demanded of Balochistan Governor Zulfiqar Magsi to call in the army for security in Quetta.
FC and police personnel, along with volunteers of the Hazara Community, were on alert as the burials took place.
Later, addressing a joint press conference, Abbas along with leader of Yakjehti Council Qayyum Nazar Changezi and the head of the Hazara tribe Sardar Saadat Ali Hazara expressed gratitude towards Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. At the same time, they demanded that Quetta be handed over to the army, since the FC had not proved effective in the past.
The speakers said they shared equally the grief of the journalists martyred in the bomb blast.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 15th, 2013.
Express Tribune
Published: January 15, 2013
Members of the Hazara community shout slogans during the Quetta blasts’ victims’ funeral ceremony. PHOTO: AFP
QUETTA:
The bodies of 87 slain Hazaras, which had been accompanied by thousands of mourners from the Shia Hazara community on Alamdar Road for a full four days, were finally laid to rest on Monday.
Some 17 bodies, unidentifiable due to the impact of the blast, wait for their families to recognise and bury them.
The Hazara Town graveyard, Barory, and Ganje Shuhada graveyard, Alamdar Road, receivedthe victims of the January 10 bomb blasts that claimed more than a 100 lives, only after the community’s elders announced that the protest was officially over. Their decision followed Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf’s announcement that some of the community’s demands would be met, including the dismissal of the provincial assembly and the imposition of governor rule.
The struggle for the community, however, is far from over – this may very well just be the beginning.
“We trust the decision of the elders of our tribe. However, we are wary of trusting the government’s promises. It may be just a pacifier … We have some degree of satisfaction over governor rule in the province, and (the fact that) false cases against our Hazara brothers in police stations and courts (are) being withdrawn, along with release of those Hazaras who are in prisons,” said a Hazara community member who returned home for the first time since the blast, while talking to The Express Tribune. Yet, he shared, his community was not happy with how “giving more power to Frontier Corps (FC) is being dealt with. It reeks of deception. Only time will tell”.
Another member of the community pointed out that most who had lost their lives on that fateful day were young boys volunteering to save those who were injured in the initial explosion. “The first blast had fewer casualties. That was actually bait to draw as many men as possible to the site, so that a maximum number of men lose their lives in the attack,” he said.
The man told about how he lost his 23-year-old cousin who was about to get married soon. “He called us after the second blast saying ‘I have lost one arm and one leg, and I am bleeding too much. Come soon. There are others here who are in worse condition than me’. By the time we covered the 45 minute distance from Barory to Alamdar road, he was gone. We have been through hell. We are still living it.”
Sitting out in the freezing cold for days has left the Hazara community physically exhausted. There has been a spread of respiratory and chest infections, as well as joint aches and pains. Emotionally too, the deaths and protests have taken their toll. Yet, their resolve is unwavering.
“We are not going to give up the struggle. But from the government and the people of Pakistan, all we can request is, ‘bring the culprits to task’. You all know who they are. And if you cannot do that, at least stop supporting them,” said a female Hazara activist, adding that death does not scare her any more.
What has driven the besieged minority is a wave of support which brought several parts of the country to a standstill over the last few days, leaving a fearful government resorting to jamming mobile phone networks once again.
“It is heartening to see how people all over Pakistan and in fact all over the world have woken up to the cause of Hazaras. The turnout of women at the sit-in is no small feat, considering how protective and conservative Hazaras and generally the people of the province are when it comes to their women,” a Hazara activist said. The campaigner added, “It was excruciatingly painful to make our dead wait to be buried. But I think the sacrifice of those who died will not have gone in vain.”
A spokesperson on behalf of Shia Hazara activists gave this statement of gratitude: “To all our honourable brothers and sisters who joined hands with us in these painful moments – We are thankful to those mothers the world over who have trained their children to support the oppressed when in pain …”
It went on to add: “We pray to Allah that you all never have to suffer how we have suffered. Rest assured, if ever a time comes when God forbid you all need support, the Shia Hazaras will be by your side, and will not hesitate from giving any sacrifice to safeguard you. May God be with you. From the Shia Hazara community.”
Demand for army
Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen Central Secretary Raja Nasir Abbas demanded of Balochistan Governor Zulfiqar Magsi to call in the army for security in Quetta.
FC and police personnel, along with volunteers of the Hazara Community, were on alert as the burials took place.
Later, addressing a joint press conference, Abbas along with leader of Yakjehti Council Qayyum Nazar Changezi and the head of the Hazara tribe Sardar Saadat Ali Hazara expressed gratitude towards Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. At the same time, they demanded that Quetta be handed over to the army, since the FC had not proved effective in the past.
The speakers said they shared equally the grief of the journalists martyred in the bomb blast.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 15th, 2013.
Express Tribune
Quetta tragedy shakes nation
Tuesday, January 15, 2013 - THE prolonged yet heart-rending sit-in by members of Hazara community in Quetta and protests across the country and in some foreign countries finally forced the Government to act in a manner that is likely to help overcome some of the problems of Balochistan. After his discussions with allies and talks with representatives of protestors, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf announced imposition of Governor’s Rule in the province and the decision served as a solace to aggrieved families.
The move is being appreciated by different circles but the fact remains that demand for the Governor’s Rule was there for about one year yet the authorities concerned did not pay any heed to the legitimate and logical demand. It is unfortunate that decision came amidst killing of over one hundred innocent souls at a time and strong protests by each and every segment of the society. The tragedy, in fact, shook the entire nation as families, relatives and members of Hazara community cried and braved harsh weather conditions to convey their injured sentiments to the people and decision-makers. Target killings including those of Hazara community had been there for quite some time but the latest incident was heart-breaking as about one hundred people became victim of the terrorist attacks. Therefore, anger of the community as well as people of Pakistan was quite understandable. It is satisfying that almost all political parties, leaders of public opinion and religious leaders representing different shades of opinion condemned the tragedywith one voice and demanded stern action to restore normalcy in Balochistan. The resilience anddetermination of families of the victims, who braved extreme cold and waited for five days to bury their dead, proved to be a turning point. However, mere imposition of the Governor’s Rule and dismissal of an inefficient, inactive and corrupt administration would not help until and unless the Governor moves firmly, with support of all law enforcing agencies including Army, to eliminate terrorists and law-breakers. There should be zero tolerance for those who take lives of other people and are engaging in acts aimed at destabilizing the province and the country.
Four days long Quetta sit-in ends
January 14, 2013 -
QUETTA: Yakjeehti Council leader Qayyum Chengezi Hazara has announced to break their four days long sit-in here following the imposition of Governor’s rule in Balochsitan.
Earlier, former minister Jan Ali Changezi had announced to end sit-in at 10 AM on Monday as President Asif Ali Zardari signed the summary regarding imposition of Governor's rule in Balochistan.
There was discord in the protestors over breaking the sit-in until the steps announced by Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf were notified.
After the announcement to end sit-in in Quetta, protest demonstrations across the country are also being concluded.
QUETTA: Yakjeehti Council leader Qayyum Chengezi Hazara has announced to break their four days long sit-in here following the imposition of Governor’s rule in Balochsitan.
Earlier, former minister Jan Ali Changezi had announced to end sit-in at 10 AM on Monday as President Asif Ali Zardari signed the summary regarding imposition of Governor's rule in Balochistan.
There was discord in the protestors over breaking the sit-in until the steps announced by Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf were notified.
After the announcement to end sit-in in Quetta, protest demonstrations across the country are also being concluded.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Shia leaders call for army intervention after Quetta blasts
By Reuters
Published: January 11, 2013
Mourners sit beside the coffins of blast victims at a mosque following overnight twin suicide bombings in Quetta. PHOTO: AFP
QUETTA: Shia leaders called on the military on Friday to seize control of the provincial capital of Quetta to protect the Muslim minority after one of the worst sectarian attacks in the country’s history.
Shia leaders also told Reuters they would not allow the 82 victims of two bomb attacks in Quetta on Thursday to be buried until their demands were met.
A string of bombings left at least 93 people dead and over 150 wounded in one of the bloodiest days of violence that Balochistan has seen for years.
A suicide bomber detonated the explosives inside a crowded snooker club on Alamdar Road, a Shia-dominated neighbourhood of Quetta.
As soon as mediapersons, police and rescue officials reached the site, the second blast went off. Television channels counted the two explosions as suicide attacks. Most of the casualties were caused by the second blast.
The bombings disrupted power supplies and plunged the Alamdar Road neighbourhood into darkness. The area is dominated by the Hazara community, who are Shias by sect. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed responsibility for the blast and said their target was the Hazara community.
Express Tribune
Published: January 11, 2013
Mourners sit beside the coffins of blast victims at a mosque following overnight twin suicide bombings in Quetta. PHOTO: AFP
QUETTA: Shia leaders called on the military on Friday to seize control of the provincial capital of Quetta to protect the Muslim minority after one of the worst sectarian attacks in the country’s history.
Shia leaders also told Reuters they would not allow the 82 victims of two bomb attacks in Quetta on Thursday to be buried until their demands were met.
A string of bombings left at least 93 people dead and over 150 wounded in one of the bloodiest days of violence that Balochistan has seen for years.
A suicide bomber detonated the explosives inside a crowded snooker club on Alamdar Road, a Shia-dominated neighbourhood of Quetta.
As soon as mediapersons, police and rescue officials reached the site, the second blast went off. Television channels counted the two explosions as suicide attacks. Most of the casualties were caused by the second blast.
The bombings disrupted power supplies and plunged the Alamdar Road neighbourhood into darkness. The area is dominated by the Hazara community, who are Shias by sect. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed responsibility for the blast and said their target was the Hazara community.
Express Tribune
Quetta Bombing Underscores Pakistan Chaos
By Tom Wright
Banaras Khan/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesLocal residents at the site of overnight twin suicide bombings in Quetta, Jan. 11.
The killing of 81 people in a Shiite area of Quetta on Thursday is the latest sign that a war by Sunni militants on minority sects in Pakistan is spiraling out of control.
The twin blasts on a Quetta billiard hall are part of a systematic attempt by Sunni extremists to wipe out the Hazaras, a Shiite ethnic group that emigrated to Pakistan from Afghanistan three generations ago.
Sunni gunmen with links to the Taliban for over a year have been targeting members of the Persian-speaking Hazara community, often in broad daylight, on the streets of Quetta, a lawless city in Pakistan’s southwest near the frontier with Afghanistan.
But the violence against Shiites hasn’t been restricted to Quetta and the restive southwestern province of Baluchistan, of which it is the capital. Shiites have increasingly been gunned down in Karachi, the southern financial capital. In August, militants wearing Pakistan army uniforms boarded a bus travelling into Pakistan’s Himalayas and shot dead over 20 Shiite passengers after checking their identity cards.
Human Rights Watch estimates around 400 Shiites were killed in Pakistan last year, an escalation of violence that highlights the failure of Pakistan’s security forces to bring extremist groups under control despite international pressure on Pakistan to rein them in.
A look at Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a banned Sunni sectarian organization that claimed responsibility for Thursday’s attack, shows why the state is failing to stem the violence...Continue Reading....
The killing of 81 people in a Shiite area of Quetta on Thursday is the latest sign that a war by Sunni militants on minority sects in Pakistan is spiraling out of control.
The twin blasts on a Quetta billiard hall are part of a systematic attempt by Sunni extremists to wipe out the Hazaras, a Shiite ethnic group that emigrated to Pakistan from Afghanistan three generations ago.
Sunni gunmen with links to the Taliban for over a year have been targeting members of the Persian-speaking Hazara community, often in broad daylight, on the streets of Quetta, a lawless city in Pakistan’s southwest near the frontier with Afghanistan.
But the violence against Shiites hasn’t been restricted to Quetta and the restive southwestern province of Baluchistan, of which it is the capital. Shiites have increasingly been gunned down in Karachi, the southern financial capital. In August, militants wearing Pakistan army uniforms boarded a bus travelling into Pakistan’s Himalayas and shot dead over 20 Shiite passengers after checking their identity cards.
Human Rights Watch estimates around 400 Shiites were killed in Pakistan last year, an escalation of violence that highlights the failure of Pakistan’s security forces to bring extremist groups under control despite international pressure on Pakistan to rein them in.
A look at Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a banned Sunni sectarian organization that claimed responsibility for Thursday’s attack, shows why the state is failing to stem the violence...Continue Reading....
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