QUETTA: Police rounded up over 100 suspects during raids carried out in different parts of Quetta early on Wednesday morning.
The government has come in for scathing criticism for its inability to stop attacks on the Hazara community in Balochistan – the latest of which claimed 14 lives on Tuesday in a bus ambush near Quetta. The criticism has come not only from the opposition but from within its own ranks.
First it was Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) parliamentarian from Quetta Syed Nasir Ali Shah, who was then joined by the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). The PML-N walked out of the house to express solidarity with Shah, who was protesting against the government’s failure to curb sectarian killings.
In addition to the PML-N, members from the ruling PPP – former federal minister Ayatullah Durrani and Zafar Ali Shah – also joined Nasir Ali Shah in his protest against the government. Shah called the parliament a “rubber stamp” and a day earlier had called for governor rule in Sindh and Balochistan.
Members of the treasury benches should be ashamed of the fact that their party member was protesting against them, PML-N’s Makhdoom Javed Hashmi said.
Shia organisations including Shia Ulema Council, Azadara Council, Majlis Wahadatul Muslimeen and Hazara Democratic Party have called for a period of mourning. A partial strike was also carried out in Marriabad, Hazara Town and other areas.
Provincial Ombudsman Akbar Baloch took suo motu action in the aftermath of the attack, asking the Inspector General Police Balochistan and Commissioner Quetta to provide a report of the incident within a week.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has asked President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani to take personal action against sectarian violence in Quetta.
Over in Balochistan, the authorities seemed to have woken up from their slumber following the mounting criticism.
Aside from the arrest of over 100 suspects, Minister for Interior Rehman Malik on Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting attended by senior politicians and police. The meeting called for regulation of Shia pilgrimages to Iran to ensure their protection. The Inspector General of Balochistan said that protection to pilgrims traveling from Quetta to Iran is already being provided.
The Hazara community has also been asked to inform police before making long journeys. “There are 400,000 Hazara people living in Quetta. It is difficult to provide foolproof security for such a large number of people,” Capital City Police Officer Quetta Ashen Mehboob told The Express Tribune.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 6th, 2011.
COMMENTS (9)
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Who would want to live in a country where you can't even go to a Market.
The Shias are already fast getting fed up with Pakistan. The Government apparently wants to drive much of its population to look toward India to solve their problems
Who is responsible for this state of lawlessness in Pakistan????
Government is not responsible, it depicts from its inaction in case of Hazara Massacre in Quetta.
God forbid if it happens that:
"The State will formally ask United Nations to take care of religious and ethnic minorities in Pakistan as it is incapable of taking actions against Home grown terrorists who are also its Strategic Assets in the region."
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I agree with most of the posts above. It should be the PML-N Punjab govt who must take action against LeJ and likes without delay or excuses. The truth is most rightwing sunni politicians know that they cannot afford to annoy the sunni extremists especially in Punjab. Too bad that Shia are in minority and we sunnis are in majority.
@Muslims For Peace: "What an irony!! Government has no control over these barbarians. They do whatever they think is right. I can feel their pain and can’t help tears in my eyes".
You know the government is unable to act against LeJ who openly say that they will continue to kill Shias. And these people are settled - ot in the lawless FATA area but rrather in PUnjab which is the heart of the contry, brings into question how sovereign the government truly is.
I would like to see some protests from Imran Khan about the open distribution of hate literature and the killing of Shias - or is it that he only worries when the loss of sovereignty impacts TTP but does not care when it is Hazaras or Ahmadis that are kiled?
What an irony!! Government has no control over these barbarians. They do whatever they think is right. I can feel their pain and can't help tears in my eyes. Pakistan will be left with nothing if our nation don't learn to give every human his basic rights. May Allah give them peace and protect them from these Pharaohs of modern times who have taken Divine decisions into their hands.
The fact is that anti-Shia sanctuaries powered by LeJ are in Jhang so it is absolutely useless carrying out raids in Quetta. LeJ and such groups are openly hostile towards the Shias and they have many times declared at their public events that they will keep on killing the Shias because it is the right thing to do. The government's incompetent actions just prove that they do not want to enter into a conflict with such groups.
And next week the headlines you will not see is "POLICE RELEASE 100 SUSPECTS IN QUETTA" We must protect Pakistan by having a zero tolerance policy against all terrorists. Anyone who murders a Ahmadi Muslim, Shia Muslim , Sunni Muslim , Ismaili Muslim or Hindu , Sikh , Christian must be dealt with an Iron fist - THEY ARE ALL PAKISTANIS