–Justice Nisar says Hazaras’ killers holding public rallies while persecuted minority could not even reach out to apex court due to life threats
–Orders govt and security officials to submit report on issue, will hear case on May 11 in Quetta Registry
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar on Wednesday took suo motu notice of the targetted killings of the members of the minority Hazara Shia community.
“Their killers are openly holding rallies,” the top judge remarked during a hearing, noting that the Hazaras Shias do not get admission in universities, cannot go to schools and hospitals.
“Are they not citizens of Pakistan,” he observed.
CJP, whilst taking the suo motu notice, summoned a report from the law enforcement agencies, Balochistan government and the Federal Interior Ministry.
The CJP stated that the notice had to be taken as the Hazara community members feared for their lives and could not even reach out to the Supreme Court.
“Hazaras are scared and have thus not submitted a request to the apex court,” he noted.
The chief justice stated that he will hear the case on May 11 in Quetta.
Earlier on Tuesday night, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa arrived in Quetta and held a high-level meeting with notables of the community along with senior civil and military officials, including Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal.
Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Qaddus Bizenjo, Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti, Inspector General Police (IGP) Moazzam Jah Ansari, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor and Southern Command Commander Lieutenant General Asim Saleem Bajwa also attended the meeting.
Over the past few days, six persons have been killed and three wounded in Quetta.
The brother of a local mosque’s imam was shot dead on April 27 on Toghi Road, followed by the targeted killings of two other people on Jamaluddin Afghani Road. All three people were Hazaras.
On April 29, three people were murdered by unknown attackers who fired at random on shops located on Jan Mohammad Road.
Later, a shutter-down strike was observed in several parts of the city and Hazara Democratic Party held a rally led by Ali Kohzad.
