A Pakistani plainclothes police officer looks at a bullet-riddled vehicle after an attack by gunmen in Quetta on July 15, 2013. PHOTO: AFP
QUETTA: Gunmen opened fire on a vehicle in the Masjid Road area of Quetta city on Monday, killing four people from the Shia community, police said.
Two passers-by were also seriously wounded.
"All the four victims were Shia," Fayyaz Sumbal, a senior police official in Quetta told media, adding that the attackers fled the scene after the shooting.
Rahim Khan, another police official in Quetta, confirmed the incident and said that the attackers came in a white-coloured car and sprayed bullets on the victims who were travelling in another vehicle.
"Apparently it was a sectarian attack," Khan said.
The CCPO said that there is shortage of police personnel and that police officials cannot be deployed for every individual.
The dead bodies were shifted to a Civil Hospital Quetta while police officials cordoned off the area for further investigation.
"The firing spread panic in the area and the few shops that were then open, closed down," said Express News corresspondent Mehmood.
"Raza Hussain, whose vehicle was fired at was the owner of an electronics shop in the area and was going home after closing shop," reported Mehmood, adding that the incident took place shortly before Iftar.
The other three deceased were identified as Ali Raza, Idress and Raza Muhammad while Syed Faizul Haq and Taqi Muhammad were injured.
Hazara Democratic Party (HDP) condemned the killing and announced a shutter down strike for Tuesday to protest against the incident.
Balochistan Shia Conference, Majlis Wadat-ul-Muslimeen and other Shia organizations have announced three days of mourning in protest.
A number of protesters rushed to the Civil Hospital Quetta after the incident and blocked the Jinnah Road by placing barricades.
Governor Balochistan Muhammad Khan Achakzai and Chief Minister Balochistan Dr Abdul Malik Baloch strongly condemned the incident and directed authorities concerned for early arrest of perpetrators involved in the incident.
HDP District Secretary Bostan Ali while talking to The Express Tribune condemned the killing of Hazara community.
Majlis Wadat-ul-Muslimeen MPA Sayed Muhamamd Raza appealed to the government to take action against sectarian attacks.
COMMENTS (24)
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Dear@Adnan: you really hit the nail on the head by saying that merely Hazaras are being targeted . This is an open secret to act upon the agenda of "Divide and Rule" dear , everybody knows who is doing this and who is the force behind it ... All I can say is Only peace please feel mercy now. you have shed much bloods of the innocents ..
@Baji Jee: It's Hazara killing not Shia killing, If it's Shia Killing than why only HAZARA are the soft targets, it's expected 20% of population of Pakistan is Shia, so why the HAZARA'S are targeted only here is few statistics from last three years In 2013 total Shia martyr in Pakistan is 300, only in Balochistan specially in Quetta more than 230 HAZARA has been martyr, It's Hazara Killing not Shia Killing In 2012 total shia martyr in Pakistan is 350 more than 130 HAZARA were in Balochistan and Quetta. In 2011 total Shia martyr in Pakistan is 250 more than 90 HAZARA were martyr in Balochistan and Quetta. It all show that it is HAZARA Killing not Shia Killing I am not making a story, It's report of different human right organization of national and international level, News paper is full of this kind of report, it all show that it's HAZARA killing not Shia Killing Punjab is largest province of Pakistan by it's population why any secetarian attack don't occur in Punjab, Apart from one or two incident of secetarian attack occur in Punjab It all indict that it is HAZARA killing not Shia Killing
@abcd: Only a genuine political party would openly oppose sectarianism, the political corporates lend their tacit approval to sectarian violence
Terrorism has no religion, origin or sect. It only has objectives, at the heart of which is tormenting and terrifying people irrespective of their identities to please people who are still in shadows.
Blaming the killings of Muslims on other Muslims is like adding insult to injury. So, we should refrain from doing that as genocide can never be a trademark of any true Muslim be it Shia or Sunni. It only comes from terrorists and must only be associated with terrorists. If we fight among ourselves over confusions, that is the 2nd objective that the terrorists will achieve which is much more perilous than the first one--as everyone will become an extremist and terrorist over the confusion created by shadows.
How come sunni victims not identified like shia are?
Adapting Pastor Martin Niemoller:
First they came for the Hindu’s, and I did not speak out— because I was not a Hindu; Then they came for the Sikhs, and I did not speak out— because I was not a Sikh; Then they came for the Christian’s, and I did not speak out— because I was not a Christian; Then they came for the Ahmadiyya’s, and I did not speak out— because I was not a Ahmadiyya; Then they came for the Shia’s, and I did not speak out— because I was not a Shia; Then they came for me— and there was no one left to speak out for me.”
gradually these Kharjites are eliminating shias, after that it would be sunnis. Wake up supporters of this wretched sub humans, your next.
If Ahmediyya killings were condemned with vehemence, there would have been no further sectarian violence. Pakistan has become a sectarian sty. Nobody is safe. God knows how long and how many will it take before it ends, if at all
What happened to earlier promise of PM and his orders to intelligence agencies investigating the cases as test case ? Failed in test ?
Is anyone, apart from MQM, serious about curbing sectarian violence?
The Hazara Shias seem to be on way to extinction in Baluchistan at the hands of 'religion of peace'.
Agencies in Pakistan are just spending government money and they don't care about people.They know those responsible for Pakistan citizens genocide and specifically Shia genocide throughout Pakistan.But they have no interest in nabbing culprits.As its not their priority.Their priorities are different.
These coward policemen are only spokesman that it is sectarian killing not terrorism.
All shias should relocate to iran or some other planet. Pious Saudis/Sunnis/Deobandis/Barelvis/Wahabis/Salafis/Ahle-hadees/Lej/Ssp/Ttp/Al-qaeda/Taliban/Isi/etc folks wont let you live in peace.
Just when you think maybe the Shia killers are under tight watch, something like this happens and you start to lose hope all over again. Sane minded Sunnis must know at all times that these extremists also consider them to be Sunni muslims. If this is not what your school of thought is all about then do something about it!!!
Shias again...Who are killers ? Sunnis...Frustrated the rate Shias are being murdered.Dothey consider us chickens on anvil ?Enough is enough..
Dear ET,
I don't why you should deviate from your usual high standards of unbiased reporting. Please mention complete facts without fear for backlash. Let the world know that the innocent victims of this incident were Shia and Hazara.
Killing for no reason.This is what is called 'pakistan'
SSP/ASWJ open their fasts with Shia blood. Amaan hai Ramzan...
And ShiaGenocide continues,i wonder when Agencies are going to stop this or maybe they themselves are responsible for Hazara ShiaGenocide ?
Who do you think Mr Raza Hussain would be.....obviously a ''Shia'' Yet another incident..... and we just only condemn it...Majority doesn't even do that
Its not even sectarian. I have yet to see shias lurking around the corners waiting to pounce on a clueless and helpless victim. This religion of violence has doomed this nation. We are all in this crime.
Shia Killing!