Quetta tense: Seven ASWJ activists injured in firing

QUETTA:

The city remained shut on Saturday in response to a strike call by Ahle-Sunnat wal Jamaat (ASWJ) to protest the killing of its two workers in an alleged encounter with the Frontier Corps, as well as raids and arrests of ASWJ workers on Friday.

Tensions ran high as news spread that seven ASWJ activists were injured in firing by unidentified persons in the city seemingly divided on sectarian and ethnic lines. An injured ASWJ worker has named Shia leaders in the firing case.

Traffic was very thin and the busy bazaars and commercial streets bore a deserted look. Fuel stations were also shut. Police backed by FC and other law enforcement agencies kept patrolling the sensitive parts of the city during the strike.

ASWJ workers shot at

Seven ASWJ workers were injured when unidentified men opened fire on their rally which was passing from Liaquat Bazaar. The assailants managed to flee.

Following the incident tension gripped the entire city as ASWJ workers blocked Jinnah Road by setting old tyres on fire and staged a sit in. The injured identified as Sadam Hussain, Amirullah, Jamal Shah, Suhrab Khan, Muhammad Umar, Zahoor Ahmed and Inamullah were shifted to Civil Hospital Quetta for medical assistance where condition of two is stated to be serious. The president of ASWJ Balochistan chapter Maulana Ramzan Mengal said that some extremists attacked the party workers to sabotage the peaceful strike.

Talking to the media after visiting the injured in Civil Hospital, Maulana Mengal demanded immediate arrest of the assailants and warned that if they were not arrested there would be a country wide shutter down and wheel jam strike on Sunday.

An opportunity to implicate foes

ASWJ implicated its opponents in the case of firing on its workers. SHO of City police station Mohibullah told The Express Tribune that a case has been registered against Balochistan Shia Conference president Dawood Agha, Hazara Democratic Party chairman Abdul Khaliq Hazara, Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen chairman Amin Shaeedi and four others. The case was filed by Jamal Shah, an injured worker of ASWJ.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 24^th, 2013.