CM Zehri announces money for victims
QUETTA: At least six out of nine victims of Quetta’s Bethel Memorial Methodist Church attack were laid to rest on Monday amid horror and grief prevalent in the community in the aftermath of the attack.
A group funeral was held on Monday afternoon after a service by Bishop Sadiq Daniel at Quetta’s Christian cemetery. Ministers, government officials and members of civil society groups attended the service.
Victor John grieved for his disabled daughter Maryam, 17, who was taken from him by “these terrorists.” His daughter-in-law, Anita Bibi, was also at the church when the attack happened and said she tried to pull Maryam to the floor when the shooting started.
Then there was a loud boom, she recalled, and the hall was filled with smoke. “In a moment, the entire church turned into chaos,” she said.
Commemorations were held across the country. In Lahore, the capital of eastern Punjab province, Muslim and Christian leaders took part in joint special prayer services to remember the victims.
About 400 worshippers were attending the service when two bombers carrying assault rifles stormed the church, triggering a gunbattle in which one assailant was killed by police guards and the other opened fire at worshippers and detonated his explosive vest.
Naseem Masih, who was wounded in the assault, said one of the attackers reached the entrance of the prayer hall, where he opened fire before blowing himself up.
“We were praying when a bullet hit me,” Masih said.
Meanwhile, Balochistan Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri and Balochistan governor called on the wounded locals in the Combined Military Hospital (CMH), civil hospital and Bolan Medical Complex Hospital (BMCH), and expressed solidarity with the victims.
The government of Balochistan also announced ex-gratia funds for the bereaved families, as Zehri announced Rs 1million for families of the dead and Rs 0.5million for the wounded.
CM Zehri also paid rich tribute to the police constables and a church guard who sacrificed their lives in the gun battle to protect the lives of the churchgoers. One of the police constables was awarded a medal of performance for his services.
While visiting the wounded, CM Zehri reiterated government’s resolve to not let terror attacks deter the determination [of the nation] in the war on terror, as he directed the concerned authorities for the foolproof security of worship places.
Baluchistan’s provincial police chief, Moazzam Ansari, said security forces were trying to find those who orchestrated the attack.
At least 26 injured persons were discharged after required medical treatment; however, 18 women among 25 persons were still under treatment in different medical facilities.
