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| Hazara town road |
The relatives of those who were killed in the Hazara Town blast finally acceded to the persuasion of their elders and Ulema and decided to bury their dead at 9 am on Wednesday.
Earlier, many members of the Hazara community had refused to budge from their demand of calling in the army in Quetta after their elders decided to end their three-day long sit-in and bury the dead after negotiations with the government.
Balochistan Governor Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi and the six-member government committee, headed by Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira, held talks with the elders of the Hazara community and assured them of accepting their demands, including action against terrorists.
Flanked by Governor Magsi and Allama Amin Shaheedi of the Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM), Kaira said action was initiated against the culprits. He said four terrorists had been killed and 170 others had been arrested so far.
He assured that action would continue until the elements involved in the killing of the Hazara Shias are apprehended. Regarding compensation to the heirs of the deceased, the minister said they had thoroughly discussed the matter relating to compensation and job opportunities to the heirs of the deceased with the Hazara tribal elders. “It will be resolved shortly,” he assured.
Kaira said consensus was reached on the constitution of a three-member committee to evaluate targeted operations being conducted in the province against the terrorists.“I appeal all my friends to peacefully disperse. God forbid, if such a tragedy befell us again we will go for countrywide sit-ins once more,” said Allama Amin Shaheedi during the briefing. On the occasion, Sardar Saadat Ali Hazara announced to bury the dead today (Tuesday).
Later, when they reached the venue of the sit-in, the families of the deceased refused to bury their dead and vowed to continue their sit-in in the cold weather until Quetta is handed over to the army. They said the army should launch targeted operation against those involved in the killing of the Hazara people. Later, however, elders and ulema prevailed and the bereaved families agreed to bury the dead today.
In an attempt to reactivate the police in Balochistan, the government has also announced massive reshuffle in the police and administrative set up. Inspector General Police Balochistan Tariq Omer Khitab has been transferred and Mushtaq Sukhera has been appointed new IGP Balochistan in addition to the transfers and postings of DIG Police level officials.
Meanwhile, Geo News quoted latest report from intelligence agencies into the investigation of Kirani Road bomb blast has concluded that explosives weighing only 10 kilograms were used in the blast but the impact of 1000 kilograms was created through addition of chemicals.
According to the report, chemicals including phosphorus, aluminium and potassium were mixed with the explosives besides diesel, sugar and ammonium nitrate to cause many times larger impact that also damaged a number of surrounding buildings.
Most of the deaths were caused by the people’s getting trapped under the debris and eruption of fire that made the bodies unidentifiable.Explosives of this kind were earlier used in blasts at Islamabad Marriot Hotel, FIA Lahore office, and Karachi CID building.
The report further said that the tanker used in the blast was prepared at a workshop in Hazar Ganji area while the explosives were supplied from Waris Chemicals located at Akbari Mandi, Lahore.
It said that chemical detectors do not have the capacity to detect materials like fertilizers and that it was not feasible to stop chemical shipments being transported in a variety of forms and shapes.
Due to water shortage in Hazara Town, almost 100 to 120 water tankers enter and leave the area which makes it difficult to scan each and every single tanker, the report said.
Our correspondents/agencies add: Meanwhile, sensitive agencies have arrested a suspected terrorist from Lahore, who had allegedly sent the chemical to Quetta.
Police sources said the chemical was dispatched from Akbari Mandi in parts weighing one kilogram each. The suspect has been identified as Dad Muhammad. He has been shifted to an undisclosed location.
Protests and sit-ins continued across the country on second day to condemn the killing of over 90 Hazara people in the deadly Quetta blast.In Islamabad, sit-in continued in Islamabad at Faizabad interchange while people suffered problems because of lack of public transport.
A long queue of vehicles was witnessed at both sides of the interchange while the no one was allowed to pass the junction. In Karachi, main roads of the city remained close due to sit-ins staged against 90 people’s killing in Quetta’s Kirani Road.
Shahrah-e-Faisal, Drigh Road, Malir 15, MA Jinnah Road, Numaish Chowrangi, University Road, Time Square, Clifton 3 Swords, Ayesha Manzil, Incholi, North Nazimabad Five Star Chowrangi, Rizwia Society, North Karachi, Power House and other areas remained blocked due to sit-ins.
Some unidentified miscreants set a bus on fire near Mazar-e-Quaid.A protest demonstration was staged at Kutchery Chowk near the Army House and GHQ in Rawalpindi under the auspices of TNFJ City Council led by Ulema and local elite of the tehreek.
The demonstrators put tyres on fire and created hurdles to close the chowk from all sides. The enraged demonstrators were raising slogans against the Quetta incident and carrying banners and placards inscribed with different slogans.
Sit-ins were held at three points in Rawalpindi including Liaquat Bagh, Faizabad and near Motorway interchange, blocking almost all the main arteries leading to the federal capital.
LAHORE: Shia organisations refused to end their sit-ins in different parts of Lahore unless bereaved families in Quetta called off their strike at Hazara Town.
The city administration was busy holding talks with the protesters outside the Governor’s House and Thokar Niaz Beg but the sit-ins continued till the filing of this report on Tuesday night as the protesters, led by local MWM and SUC leaders, refused to honour the talks held by a parliamentary delegation of the ruling alliance with the MWM central leadership and Hazara tribe chief Sardar Saadat Hazara in Quetta.
Most wholesale markets also remained closed and other retailers were partially opened due to uncertainty and tension. Traffic remained thin and trains between Lahore and Karachi, which were suspended on Monday, could not be restored on Tuesday. Besides, intercity bus services were also suspended and an ugly situation developed outside Lahore airport in the evening when protesters including women and children also staged a sit-in and blocked the road leading to airport.
Various leaders like HRCP chairperson Asma Jahangir, Justice (R) Nasira Javed Iqbal, Muniza Hashmi and other leaders of civil society visited the sit-in at the Governor’s House to express solidarity with them.
A delegation of Pakistan Awami Tehreek and Tehreek-e-Minhaj-ul-Quran also visited the sit-in. Jamaat-e-Islami leader Hafiz Salman Butt also addressed the demonstrators and said the government had lost its right to stay in power.
MULTAN: Hundreds of citizens from Shia community continued their protest in order to express solidarity with families of victims who lost their lives in Saturday’s Quetta terrorism.
Sit-in under MWM was held at Nawanshehr Chowk and Shershah Bypass under in the leadership of Shia Ulema Council.The traffic between Multan and Muzaffargarh was suspended at Shershah Bypass due to sit-in.
BAHAWALPUR: Shia organisations staged sit-ins against Quetta carnage in Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Rahimyar Khan, Ahmadpur East, Uch Sharif, Haroonabad, Chishtian and Khanpur, demanding arrest of the killers.
In Bahawalpur, different Shia organisations staged a sit-in outside Farid Gate. In Bahawalnagar, hundreds of Shia Ulema Council activists took out a protest rally from Markazi Imambargah to Rafique Shah Chowk. In Haroonabad, Anjuman Hussainia activists staged a sit-in outside Markazi Imambargah. In Ahmadpur East, Shia organisations activists took out a protest rally and reached Muneer Shaheed Chowk.
CHAKWAL: The SUC workers blocked the Motorway at Balkassar Interchange in protest against the killings of the Hazaras, suspending traffic on both sides.
The protesters, including women, chanted slogans against the government, demanding immediate arrest of the killers.
BUREWALA: Members of Shia community staged a sit-in against the Quetta killings on Multan Road. The protesters blocked Multan Road near Chungi No 5 and staged a sit-in to express solidarity with the families of Quetta victims. They demanded the government take action against the terrorists who were involved in the incident.
ARIFWALA: Two hundred protesters took out a rally to show solidarity with the relatives of Quetta blast victims. They demanded an immediate arrest of terrorists involved in the blast.
GUJRANWALA: Protesters in Gujranwala continued agitation against the killing of Hazaras in Quetta. A large number of Shias staged a sit-in at Pindi Bypass Road and blocked traffic on GT Road which caused traffic congestion on roads.
LALAMUSA: Members of SUC staged a sit-in against the Quetta bloodshed at Hariawala Chowk, Gujrat.
Jamaat-e-Islami and other organisations also joined the demonstrators to express their solidarity with the Hazaras. The protesters blocked a road and chanted slogans against the incident.
MUZAFFARGARH: Life remained paralysed in the district and adjoining areas due to sit-ins by Shia organisations in the district.
Traffic coming from Mianwali, Quetta, Bhakkar, Dera Ghazi Khan, Alipur, Rajanpur, Layyah and Rangpur was suspended. Thousands of vehicles, trucks loaded with fruits and other goods were stranded at the western bank of the river due to protests.
OKARA: The Shia community staged sit-ins at two places on GT Road in protest against killings of the Hazara people in Quetta.
On the appeal of the SUC and Millat-e-Jaffaria Allama Sajid Naqvi, people, including women and children, gathered at Renala Khurd Bypass and Okara Bypass, blocking traffic.
BADIN: Different Shia organisations took out a rally in the city in protest against the Quetta carnage.
The rally, led by Dr Mukhtiar Jaffery and Bahadur Memon, was brought out from Shahnawaz Chowk to DCO office.
Meanwhile, the MQM chief Altaf Hussain has said that the genocide of the Hazara community is an evil conspiracy against Pakistan.
He said that the elements involved in the genocide of the Hazara community were open enemies of Pakistan. He demanded that the terrorists and their sponsors which were behind the organised killings of the Hazara Shia community should be arrested and given exemplary punishment.
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