Chairman Hazara Qaumi Mahaz (HQM) Qazi Muhammad Azar has warned the provincial government of agitation if the police do not register an FIR for the killing of protesters on April 12, 2010.
He was addressing a protest rally organised by Hazara Students Federation (HSF) at Thana Chowk on Saturday.
Azar also demanded that Commissioner Hazara Khalid Khan Umerzai and deputy inspector general Hazara as well as district police officer Abbottabad be posted out immediately.
The HSF took out a rally to condemn the registration of a case against HMQ’s activists for staging a protest against the arrival of ANP senior minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour on March 24.
The protesters marched across the city, chanting slogans against the ANP government, the commissioner and senior police officers.
The HQM chief accused the officers of pursuing the ‘hidden agenda’ of the ANP for implicating political activists in ‘fabricated’ cases to scare them away from the protests planned for April 12.
Azar said that since the ANP was not happy with the growing popularity for the movement of Hazara province, it was conspiring through the officers to create a disturbance in the division.
He warned that if the cases of all the seven killed and the over 120 injured in riots two years ago on April 12, police firing, were not registered, HQM’s workers would present themselves for arrest.
On April 12, 2010, hundreds of activists took to the streets against the renaming of North West Frontier Province as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The protest turned violent when the police resorted to baton charge and teargas shelling.
Azar accused the police opened fire at the protesters, killing seven of them on the spot. Over 120 people were injured by bullet wounds.
A case was registered, but police officials were not nominated in the FIR. Later, names of political leaders were added.
A judicial inquiry was ordered into the incident. Its findings pointed out that both the police and the protesters had opened fire. The judicial commission maintained that it could not be ascertained whether the deaths had been caused by bullets fired by the police.
The deaths and injuries were the result of crossfire, the commission had concluded.
When approached for comments, commissioner Hazara, rejected the allegation and said that the officers referred to in the speeches were public servants and they were focused on maintaining peace and order in Abbottabad, the divisional headquarters.
Umerzai accused the protesters of disrupting law and order in Hazara by blocking roads and taking out processions.
“Frequent roads blocks and protests can affect tourism in Hazara as the tourist season is about to begin.” Tourists from across Pakistan as well as abroad throng scenic areas in Hazara and Galiyat, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 1st, 2012.
Correction: Earlier, the article was mistakenly placed in the Balochistan section instead of KP & Fata. It has been placed correctly now.
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complete mix-up of two unrelated issues. Note that Hazaras of Quetta are not the same as Hazara Division. The article should be retracted and re-written.
What made you include this report as part of news from Balochistan? Wake up
Dude! You Ought Not Mix Up HAZARA Community Of Quetta And Hazara Division. Its Somewhat Misrepresentation!
1st Misrepresentation Is That it is posted under Balochistan Category And The Second Is the File Photo Used Belongs To Hazaras Of Quetta. You People Need Not To Confuse The General Public Please. Same Thing Applies For The Editors. Savvy!