Burial should not be conditional to PM’s visit, Jam Kamal urges Hazara protestors

Assures efforts are under way to improve security situation in the province

QUETTA:

Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal on Wednesday said Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit the Hazara community but the burial of the coal miners should not be conditional on his arrival.

Addressing a conference flanked by Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Zaidi and Adviser to the Chief Minister Abdul Khaliq Hazara, the chief minister said "Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Dr Arif Alvi will visit the Hazara community but the people have elected me as their chief minister and the responsibility rests on me."

The chief minister said efforts are under way to improve the security situation in the province, adding that the provincial government is striving for peace and development in the region, despite all the challenges.

Members of the Hazara community have blockaded a highway in Quetta with the bodies of slain coal miners said they will not withdraw until Prime Minister Imran Khan meets them and the killers are brought to justice.

Thousands of Hazaras have since staged a protest, arranging the coffins across a highway in the provincial capital.

Similar protests have been staged across the country urging the government to bring the culprits to justice.

Kamal said the incident took place on January 3 and he was in Dubai, but returned to the country after he heard the news. "The purpose of all of us coming here is to highlight the seriousness of the issue."

He further added that enemy forces do not want the province to progress. He added that the people can testify that the law and order situation in the province has improved drastically.

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Zaidi said Pakistan's enemy is attempting to disrupt peace in the country. He reiterated that the burial of the bodies should not be associated with the premier's arrival.

Secretary-General of Balochistan Shia Conference Jawad Rafi lamented that Balochistan's Shia, Pathan, Punjabi, Hazara and Urdu speaking have been killed in the past.

"Our people have brutally been killed in the past as well."

He said coal miners working in Machh are suffering from anxiety and fear. Moreover, government employees, workers and students are worried.

Earlier, while charring a high-level meeting on the province’s law and order situation, Kamal reaffirmed his support for the victims of Machh.

Islamic State (IS) militants slit the throats of 11 miners in a residential compound near a mine site in Balochistan, filming the entire incident and later posting it online.

Kamal asserted that the barbarians responsible for the Machh massacre would be held accountable.

The meeting was attended by Provincial Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Lango, Additional Chief Secretary and other senior officials.

The chief minister said the protection of life and property is the responsibility of the government.