Following the imposition of Governor’s Rule in Balochistan and sacking of Nawab Aslam Raisani’s government, Shia mourners protesting in Quetta called off their sit-in on Monday and buried the dead after an agonising wait of over 60 hours.
Around 10,000 protesters, including women and children, had placed bodies of those killed in Thursday’s twin bombings in Quetta on Alamdar Road on Friday morning, demanding justice for the victims. They had been demanding the removal of the provincial government and handing over the provincial capital to the army for a targeted operation against terrorists. Balochistan chief minister Nawab Aslam Raisani, who has been out of the country, made no sincere effort for improvement of law and order after Thursday’s carnage, nor did he issue any statement to pacify the angry community.
After several government ministers failed to make a breakthrough in talks with the Hazara protesters, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf rushed to Quetta on Sunday and started consultations with the party leadership and other coalition partners to find a way out of the crisis.
But when the protesters refused to budge from their demands, President Asif Ali Zardari gave the approval for imposing Governor’s Rule in Balochistan, duly announced by the prime minister later at night on Sunday. There were differences among the leaders of mourners over calling off their three-day-long protest, as some wanted to wind up the protest after the removal of Raisani and his cabinet, while others wanted to continue the protest unless their other demand of handing over Quetta to the armed forces was also met.
However, Sardar Sadaat Hazara, a tribal notable and Qayyum Changezi, the head of Hazara Tribal Jirga, announced to call off the protest despite dissenting voices from the protesters.
Later, the mourners shifted the bodies to nearby imambargahs, making preparations for burial.
On Monday afternoon, all the bodies were taken to the main Hazara graveyard and laid to rest following funeral prayers. Earlier in the day, Sardar Sadaat Hazara and Qayyum Changezi addressed a press conference at Punjabi Imambargah and thanked President Zardari and Prime Minister Ashraf for getting the Hazara community rid of a “fascist” government and hoped that Balochistan Governor Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi would try his best to provide security to the community. They said 75 percent of the demands of the protesters and mourners had been accepted while negotiations would also be held for the remaining. They said although the people of Quetta were not happy with the performance of Frontier Corps in its present form, the Hazaras called off their protest after firm assurances of by Balochistan Corps Commander Lt Gen Alam Khattak, who said he would personally supervise the performance of FC. They said that the provincial authorities and law enforcement agencies would launch a targeted operation against terrorists in Quetta and neighbouring districts by making foolproof arrangements for the security of their community, particularly during their movement in Quetta.
Zardari issues decree imposing Governor’s Rule in Balochistan
President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday issued a presidential proclamation imposing Governor’s Rule in Balochistan. Taking notice of the deteriorating security situation, President Zardari has decided to visit the turbulent province and meet all the stakeholders. Under Governor’s Rule, the powers of the provincial government will now be transferred to the National Assembly in the absence of a provincial legislature for necessary legislation. The governor with a small cabinet will govern the province under the emergency rule till fresh elections are held. The rule will be imposed for 60 days.
A uniquely sad event.
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