Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar (C) speaks after meeting with representatives of the Hazara Community in Quetta flanked by Minister for Information Pervez Rashid (2ndR) and Balochistan chief minister Abdul Malik (1st L). PHOTO: BANARAS KHAN/EXPRESS
QUETTA: Sit-in protests in Quetta and other parts of Pakistan by the families of pilgrims killed in the Mastung blast ended on Thursday after Chaudhry Nisar and Pervaiz Rasheed finished negotiating with the Hazara community, Express News reported on Thursday.
Relatives of the 28 people slain in the blast had gone into the second day of protests on Alamdar Road in Quetta, refusing to bury their dead unless the government announced a targeted operation against perpetrators of the attack.
The Interior and Information Ministers flew in to Quetta and assuring the protesters of government action against the criminals, persuaded them to end the protest.
"We will not allow the situation to go on like this," said Nisar. "We have expressed solidarity with the victims and assured them that their demands will be met and due action taken."
In response to a question about whether the government had a timeframe for the 'action', Nisar said there indeed is a timeframe. He then mentioned the meeting between top government officials earlier on Thursday, where he said security matters were discussed extensively and the decision taken to put an immediate and complete stop to such attacks.
Earlier, Chief Minister of Balochistan Dr Abdul Malik Baloch had visited Alamdar Road to express solidarity with the protesters last night. Promising better security for Hazara pilgrims on the Taftan-Quetta highway, Dr Malik said the provincial administration was considering the option of launching a ferry service.
Despite assurances from the chief minister, the protesters called upon the federal government to take action against the groups stoking violence in the province.
An Express News screengrab showing a relative of a victim in Quetta.
Later on Thursday, Federal Ministers Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Pervez Rashid visited the Headquarters of the Army's Southern Command, reported Radio Pakistan.
During their visit, Commander Southern Command Lt. General Nasir Janjua briefed them about the security situation prevailing in Quetta.
Karachi
Protesting the Mastung killings and demanding justice, members of the Majlis-e-Wahdat-ul-Muslimeen (MWM) staged sit-ins in 10 different places in the city.
The demonstrations are organised at Numaish Chowrangi, Rizvia, North Nazminabad, Ayesha Manzil, Ancholi, Abbas Town, Drig Road, Jafar-e-Tayyar, Gulistan-e-Johar and Malir.
Traffic flow and flight schedule was disrupted due to the protests as many students, workers and flight crews could not reach their respective destinations. This also affected the movement in and out of the city as many flights failed to take off on time. Several passengers were stranded at the airport while some are staying in the nearby hotels.
No special security measures were taken in the wake of these demonstrations to prevent untoward situations. Therefore, unidentified men torched a truck on Drigh Road and burnt a car near Shafiq Mor.
The protests and blocked roads have led to traffic jams in Shah Faisal, Korangi, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulberg and on MA Jinnah Road.
The University of Karachi examinations scheduled for today were also postponed until further notice.
A screengrab showing protesters in Karachi.
Twin cities
Protesters blocked the Faizabad interchange which connects Rawalpindi with Islamabad and demanded action against the perpetrators of the Mastung tragedy.
The demonstrators are present in the area since last night despite the cold weather.
Security personnel were deployed to ensure safety of the protesters, however, no government official has come to negotiate with the demonstrators.
The blockade resulted in traffic jams in both the cities and people are facing difficulties in reaching their schools and offices.
A screenshot of protesters in Rawalpindi.
Lahore
A large number of protesters staged a sit-in on the Mall Road outside the Governor House and have blocked the road since 6pm yesterday.
Government and security officials negotiated with the protesters today and opened one side of the road for traffic.
A screengrab showing leaders addressing protesters in Lahore.
Apart from the major cities, solidarity demonstrations were also held in other parts of the country. MWM supporters staged sit-ins and blocked major routes near Sehwan, Dadu, Nawabshah, Tando Allahyar, Bhit Shah, Badin and other districts.
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Glad to see so many Voices for innocent people became victim of terrorism But Please furnish your merciful attention on those who are victim of Drone attacks the might also our brothers and sisters. We should consider that people of Pakistan are being killed despite they from Shia Sect or Sunni. What we need to do is to do a peaceful protest and sit in front of parliament house or courts rather burning vehicles, blocking road which cause of more inconvenience to Pakistan. We are need justice from Government not from citizens!!!
We are facing a much bigger danger than our leadership has probably realized. Pakistan is facing the challenges of terrorism which has no boundaries, the terror groups could conduct their activities anywhere at their own free will and the law enforcers are merely reactive in their response. Our kids are deprived of polio vaccine, our girls are not supposed to go to school. Our political parties have criminals and extortionists in their front rows, we are divided in the name of religion, sects, lingual orientation etc are based on each differentiation we are ready to kill others. The world in large is sick and tired of us and we command no respect in the world. The state is melting down and we are justifying the blood of other ethnicities, sects and religious groups.
@Imran @Unbreakable
May be people like you should come forward and take your (yes it is your case!) to the right forums in the way you feel its right. Maybe it wouldn't have come to this if all of us or most of us were doing our duty of enjoin the good and forbid the evil
I don't know where you live but I live in the west and have seen rallys and protest not only happening but being facilitated by admin and people in towns like Chicago, Washington, Toronto and all of them happened right in the heart of city.
Make a priority list and assign priorities to existential threat and dealing with trouble making innocents
Live was amazing under Musharraf ERA. Minorities were respected and protected. We need musharraf to return to power. Imran khan is a flop. Only musharraf is the answer..
@Imran: You are talking about ladies stuck in a bus filled with men. What about those ladies who were in the blast bus and na-mehram men had taken their bodies to hospitals despite the fact that they were obviously not in that condition required for a women in Islam.
@ Imran: you are not getting their point, but if god forbids you lose a beloved one in such an attack then you will realise how helpless one feels after such a shocking incident . I was also against sit in but when I lost my loved my loved ones then I realised that . Now I fully support my Shia Brothers and Sisters . May Allah Guide you dear.
Dear Imran;
Well blocking the roads of non-sense will bring no fruit to the communities under attacks. its to wake the "innocent" people like you and me who just watch TV news and say a few words, whether pro or against the "ZALIM" but have no input further untill "TROUBLED" by some event, either loosing near ones in same sort of incidence or the way "Innocent" people are troubled now. So take an option, either to stand by these people who are asking justice and protection, not only for them but for whole Pakistan, or wait for the time turn to your side and have some loss ( May that not happen to anyone at all). This not troubling the innocent people but to make them realize what had happened to them and what can happen to others in the coming days, otherwise, as i said earlier, we will just waste time on news channels and forget the things as soon as some other breaking news flashes on our screens. Now at least other Innocent people voices are heard too, in order to solve the problem, and yes it has moved the cold blooded GOVT and now waiting what kind of solution will they come up with.
@Imran.. I guess you just need to go through the above comments to get an answer for yourself.. If 7 out of 10 people are emphasizing a point you need to respect it even if you think otherwise, a more tolerant society is the need of time. However, it is a cliché now to be obsessed with 'i am always right' syndrome for the so-called civilized individuals like you.
@Imran: and one should be grateful to the shia community that there are still doing a "SIT IN" protest. the way Hazara people have been treated. we are lucky that a civial war has not started yet. because they are the ones who are loosing their loved ones. Not you and me...!! and supporting them, anywhere is a symbol of unity...!!
Respect for the deceased and sympathies for the bereaved aside, in what manner of civilization is it permissible to block off public roads in the name of protests? Think about it, how many Govt higher-ups reside or work in areas like Five-star chowarangi, Ancholi, Numaish,Ayesha Manzil, Nata Khan? Who are these people trying to coerce into action by blocking THESE routes? The common (read middle-class-poor) man is the only one who is suffering, and protests such as these are threatening the inter-sect harmony as well. And no it is NOT your right to protest at the expense of others who are in no way even remotely responsible for the atrocity committed in Mastung. Any one saying otherwise needs to revise upon his civic knowledge. A much better and perhaps more effective way would have been to mobilize the civil society in sit-ins at key federal and provincial government establishments. THOSE are the people directly responsible for failing to perform their duties and negligence in providing security to the people. Not the clerk who missed today's office because of 'angry protesters' who deem it their god-given right to block any which road/street that they desire. The common man on the street is finding it harder and harder to differentiate between extremists who kill in the name of religion, and protesters who deprive people of livelihoods. This highly irresponsible manner of protests will actually turn the common man's sympathies AWAY from the poor souls who lost their lives at the hands of extremist monsters. This is only creating further divisions in an already splintered society, whilst those at the TOP, are lounging away in their VIP cordoned off enclaves. Well done protesters, well done!
@Imran: Dear Imran, you are the real voice of common citizen of Karachi.
@Imran: Imagine your 3 brothers killed in a bomb blast- or your mother lost all her son. People like me loosing my 18month/3 years or 10 years son or a daughter. than nothing really matters for me. ive lost my son/daughter/brother/sister and i give a damn if your late at work
Muslim world is suffering due to proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Muslim leaders only talk about unity of Muslim Ummah in conferences but in real case reality is completely different.
@Mohsin: Dear Please help me understand how by causing hardships to millions of innocent citizens you express your grief!!?? And why not protest in front of Sind CM house where plans are being finalized to spend 500 million on celebrating the culture!!??
@Imran: Dear, you feel your pain to earn livelihood and how strange are your comments about the innocent people who have lost their loved ones. Rather than showing sympathy you chose to be against them. Think about yourself once again on which side you are.
Time for "Peace talking" has exhausted long ago,now its "Pay Back" time.
Can't we give our officials a doable solution, given the overall circumstances faced by them including funds availability, lack of training, incompetency etc.
I don't understand how people argue that since there relatives or people from there community have been killed therefore they have a right to block the roads and create hardship for everyone (Students, patients, travellers). Sanity should always prevail. Creating hardship for ordinary people will not solve these issues. If you have to protest, go infront of provincial or national assembly and stage a sit in.
@Imran, I understand the inconvenience that common people have to go though while people are peacefully protesting on roads. But can you suggest a better option. Secondly have you ever tried to put your self and your loved-ones in the place of Hazara/ Shia Families. Instead of joining the processions you are against the sitins. This is a basic right of people to peacefully protest. Did you ever think that all country has been jammed due to sitins but not even a single stone thrown anywhere. Is it easy for them to keep the dead bodies of their families and sit on road in nearly 0 or less temperature. My brother think again.
overwhelmed to see such positive sentiments !!!
hope Mr. Imran got the answer !!!
@Arslan: Kindly inform how an ordinary person would feed his/her children if he is stopped from earning his/her daily livelihood? Secondly around 3000 people were massacred in New York on 9/11. 52 people were killed in train bombings in London in July 2005. 191 people killed in Spain in March 2004. Around 300 slaughtered in Mumbai in 2008. In not a single city people blocked roads in "peaceful protest" denying other common citizens the right of freedom to move about in emergency, help, work, education. This is not the civilized way to torment common citizens for the deeds of terrorists and weaknesses of rulers.
@Lolz: So Dear Sir your point is that by causing daily hardships for other citizens injustice will be eroded? By the way I know lots of friends from the protesting community who are also suffering due to these protests and are not part of these protests, instead trying to meet the ends in these times of hardships.
@Ahmed: Dear Sir Imagine you're a woman working on a meager salary and stuffed in overcrowded bus ladies compartment filled with men and have to go through the agony of being stuck there for hours daily to peaceful protests??? Why the common people who have no hand in terrorism being targeted by the "peaceful protesters"?? Sir kindly explain why the protesters not protesting in front of Bilawal House the house of the rulers during whose tenure terrorism has grown manifold in this country???
@Zain: Thanks for your curse I'm afraid may not return the favor as my upbringing prohibits me from it, but would you kindly let me know how the blocking the way of innocent millions of people solace the aggrieved families and how it helps in fighting the terrorists??
Why they are protesting? This is the right of every person to get rid of others if they don't practice as per his opinion. Why we suffer from this protesters? as we have got immunity from those peaceful people who targeted only one bus.these protesters should protest in their home in their bed and drawing rooms by watching news of these peaceful killings. @imran I think i completed your comments I don't think these people are protesting for Killings. actually they are protesting for National silence over these killings. we should join them or we will join the deceased.
What is the government doing? I have my bets on it being ousted in April, this is terrible leadership. Mian Saab lied to us, now we must retaliate.
@Imran Their suffering is worse than yours. Try to understand their position. "Waiting for few hours on blocked roads is not that bad if you are alive."
@Imran
Actually we must all be participating with them in the Protest, as had this been the blood of our so called Political Leadership or Even any MNA the whole city would have came to a stand still.
@Imran: Dear Innocent citizen, If a person doesn't raise voice on the injustice, he/she doesn't fall in the category of innocent any more. Moreover, if they are the victims this time, you could be the next but still we all are silent. Switching the TV channels and censoring the bomb clippings on the media would never save all of us from the horror. It is just like shutting our eyes down towards a threat. Perhaps we haven't experience real torture as we all are busy to fulfil our greed in the name of earning livelihood.
We stand by our Shia Brothers and Sisters in this grieve incident, May Allah bless them with patience over there huge loss.
God Bless Pakistan!
"why are we always tortured by the “protesters” ?"
Being late for work is, excuse me, torture?! Come out of your comfort cocoon sir, you do realize there is a war going on and these (PEACEFUL) protesters lost their loved ones? How about that for torture compared to facing a much smaller nuisance?
Keep your 1st world problems to within the confines of your residence, there is no other way to register your protest in Pakistan. Reality is grave in Pakistan.
Best remedy for this is to take action against the perpetrators rather then hollow promises everytime. The mantra of promises and foreign hands is very old now. For 60 years we have not caught any foreign hand so we can bust this myth. Take action against the mullahs. Wipe them out if required. Peace is needed.
@ Imran, basically people (95% who don't believe in fight) has only two options,
option 1: Protest peacefully which might hurt other people as well although other communities should join them irrespective their religion, sect etc. because they are also a victim of terrorism in the county.
Option 2: They also come against the state as they are victims since 70's.
I think these people love this country that's why prefere option no 1. and belive me its just a matter of time untill they will choose the option 2 which will dangerous for this country.
Choice is yours its time to wake up for this county and join each other
@Imran: Dont worry if your family or you suffered a terrorist attack (which we all may go through in coming years) I wont mind a traffic jam in your protest.
It's high time the government levelled with the citizens about what's going on in the GOP. This is not good for the health; mental and physical, of the country. This is a nation not a locality of road side cheats. Salams
I was gravely saddened by the terrorist attack in which hazara community members and soldiers guarding them were killed. I am now perplexed after suffering hardships for hours due to blocking of roads by "protesters" on why I and millions of innocent citizens like me who themselves are a target of terrorism and crimes are being punished by the "protesters" by blocking of our roads hampering our way to earn livelihood for us and our families, why are we always tortured by the "protesters" ?