500 protesters place victims’ coffins on the road, chant slogans against govt for failing to protect them
Unidentified assailants killed five people belonging to the Hazara community in Quetta’s Bacha Khan Chowk area on Sunday evening.
Police sources said suspected militants opened fire at two shops near Bacha Khan Chowk, the city’s commercial hub.
Police stated the deceased belonged to the Hazara community. Four people, identified as Mohammad Ali, Kazim, Zeeshan and Nematullah, had died on the spot while there was one injured who was rushed to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Quetta for medical treatment. However, he later succumbed to his injuries.
Soon after the incident, markets and business establishments at Circular Road, Mishan Road, Souraj Gunj Road were closed as panic gripped the area and traffic vanished from the roads.
In the past few days, more than half-a-dozen Hazara community were also gunned down in Quetta.
Police and personnel of Frontier Corps (FC) were called to the area to bring the situation under control. Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Malik Baloch strongly condemned the incident and directed the police to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“Strict action will be taken against the elements involved in the target killing,” he said.
The chief minister expressed sympathy with the bereaved families and promised all possible help to them.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility following the attack.
Later, around 500 people from the community took to the streets in protest against the incident carrying the coffins of the deceased and refusing to bury them.
About 500 protesters placed the coffins of the victims on the road and chanted slogans against the government for failing to protect them.
“We are facing a genocide and the government makes only empty promises instead of providing protection,” Husnain Ali, a protester in his early 20s said. He said he would sit on the road with the dead bodies until the perpetrators are arrested.
In the meanwhile, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has strongly condemned the incident and has sought report into the incident, asking authorities to apprehend the criminals at the earliest. He also extended condolences to the bereaved families.
Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch taking the notice of the incident has also sought a report from inspector general police.
Among other political leaders, Muttahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan also condemned the incident.
Hussain said the silence of the government on continuing incidents of killings of innocent people in Balochistan is inexplicable while Khan urged the Balochistan government to act wisely and take measures to ensure safety of life and possession of the citizens.
QUETTA POLICE DETAIN 33 SUSPECTS:
In the meanwhile, Quetta police on Sunday detained a number of suspects during a search operation at SatelliteTown and Pastoonabad area of the city.
According to police, police teams conducted search operation in these locations and took into custody as many as 33 suspects during the search operation carried out in the wake of Pastoonabad firing incident leaving four police officials including a sub inspector killed. Police also recovered computers and others digital gadgets from the detained suspects.
“They will be interrogated by joint investigation teams and would be released if proved innocent,” a police official said, adding that more search operations are on cards in the outskirts of the provincial capital to clear sanctuaries of criminals and outlaws.
Meanwhile, FIR of Pashtoonabad firing incident was registered against unidentified armed assailants at Police Station Pashtoon. The SHO Pastoonabad Tayabur Rehman got the case registered of the incident that left his four colleagues including a Sub Inspector and three constables killed.