Hazaras want premier’s presence, not his words

Despite Prime Minister Imran Khan’s request to move ahead with the final rites of the slain miners and an assurance that he would visit them “very soon”, Balochistan’s Shia Hazara community continued to protest for a fifth straight day on Thursday, refusing to bury those who were brutally killed over the weekend in the province’s Mach area. According to reports, the prime minister has decided to visit Quetta “soon”; to express solidarity with the members of the community, but the date and time of his visit are “being kept secret due to security concerns”. On Sunday, armed attackers slit the throats of 11 miners in a residential compound near a mine site in Balochistan’s Mach coalfield area, filming the entire incident and later posting it online. The gruesome attack was claimed by the militant Islamic State group. Since then, thousands of Hazaras have staged a protest along with coffins containing the miners’ bodies in the Western Bypass area in Quetta, while members of their community have also held protests in Karachi. Despite extremely harsh weather as the mercury drops to below freezing point, the mourners, including women and children, have refused to leave until the premier meets them and the killers are brought to justice. A day earlier, the prime minister, in a series of tweets, said that he was aware of the Shia Hazara community’s “suffering & their demands”, adding that the government was taking steps to prevent such attacks in the future and knew that “our neighbour is instigating this sectarian terrorism.” “I share your pain and have come to you before also to stand with you in your time of suffering. I will come again very soon to offer prayers and condole with all the families personally,̶1; he said while addressing the mourning Hazaras. “I will never betray my people’s trust. Please bury your loved ones so their souls find peace,” the prime minister said. Day-long efforts by Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani, Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Zaidi and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari on Wednesday to persuade the protesters to bury the bodies of the slain miners proved futile as the protesters refused to do so without having a meeting the prime minister. Several other attempts by both federal and provincial authorities also failed. Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, who had met the protesters on Monday, had announced that Rs 2.5 million would be paid to each victim’s family as compensation. Earlier on Thursday, the chief minister once again appealed to the protesters to bury the miners citing “religious obligations”. Meanwhile, the Anjuman Tajran Balochistan has called for a shutter down strike in Quetta. On the other hand, traffic disruptions were reported in multiple areas of Karachi once again on Thursday as protests and sit-ins against the Hazara killings continued for a third day in the metropolis. Protests were ongoing since 9am at 20 locations in the city, including Abbas Town (Abul Hasan Ispahani Road), Kamran Chowrangi at Gulistan-e-Johar, Powerhouse Chowrangi in North Karachi, Numaish (MA Jinnah Road), Shahra-e-Faisal, NIPA Chowrangi, Malir 15 and M-9 motorway near the Super Highway. According to a traffic official, Rangers and police have also been deployed to assist the traffic police and ensure law and order in these areas. Commuters were advised to use alternative routes while those travelling out of Karachi were asked to use the Lyari Expressway or Northern Bypass. Meanwhile, operations of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) were also affected due to the protests, according to a statement from the PIA. PIA spokesperson Abdullah Khan said traffic congestion on the routes towards the Jinnah International Airport caused difficulty for passengers and staff trying to reach the airport. Multiple PIA flights from Karachi to Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar and Faisalabad were either cancelled or delayed by a few hours, according to the PIA, while an international flight, PK-213 from Karachi to Dubai, was also delayed by an hour and a half. A spokesperson for the Majlis-i-Wahdatul Muslimeen, which is also taking part in the protests, had said the other day that the protestors, including women and children, were there only to express solidarity with the families of the Mach victims. “They are peaceful and only seeking their constitutional right,̶1; he said. “The protests have been joined by people from all walks of life and beyond their sectarian or political association… We demand the government and Prime Minister Imran Khan to play their due role before it’s too late.”