Amid touching scenes: Quetta blast victims buried

Police round up 12 suspects; Balochistan capital remains shut on strike call.

Hazara mourners sit around the graves of the victims of an overnight suicide bombing at a graveyard in Quetta. PHOTO: AFP

QUETTA:


Twenty-eight members of the Hazara community who lost their lives in Sunday’s gruesome suicide hit in Quetta were buried in the Hazara Town graveyard amid touching scenes.


A large number of people attended the funeral procession. Two dead bodies were sent to Afghanistan.

The suicide attack near the Imambargah left 30 dead, including 12 women and children, and 65 injured.

Banned militant outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has claimed responsibility for the suicide hit and the subsequent remote-controlled blast.

Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Malik visited the injured people at the CMH and assured them that the government would foot their medical bill.

A six-member team has been formed under Superintendent of Police (SP) Investigation Muhammad Tariq to launch probe into the grisly incident.

An FIR has been registered in the Brewery police station against unidentified persons for mounting the suicide attack in the Aliabad area of Hazara Town.


The police have so far rounded up 12 suspects after launching a massive manhunt in the Saryab area of the city.



Strike

Majlis-e-Wahdat ul Muslemin (MWM) and Hazara Democratic Party had given a call for a shutter-down strike for Monday to condemn the latest assault on the Hazara community.

Shops and businesses were shut to mourn the loss of precious lives. All main roads, including Alamdar road, Brewery road, Jinnah Road and adjoining streets presented a deserted look.

Hazara Democratic Party staged a demonstration outside the Quetta Press club on Monday against the attack. The protesters carried placards and shouted slogans against the government.

MWM MPA Muhammad Raza stressed the need for a targeted operation in Quetta. Talking to reporters, he said the new government has yet to fully settle in and hence needs more time, said the MPA.

A young member of the Hazara community said that many like him are stuck in the area and their freedom of movement has been compromised as they feared for their lives. He lamented that despite doing his FSC he could not pursue higher education at the University of Balochistan.

Shafiq, a 20-year-old shopkeeper, demanded that the Chief Justice take a suo motu notice of the situation.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 2nd, 2013.
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