Tag: Hazara protesters

  • Hazaras agree to call off protests, bury bodies after PM, COAS promise to visit families

    Hazaras agree to call off protests, bury bodies after PM, COAS promise to visit families

    The week-long protests across Pakistan, especially Quetta, in the wake of the killing of Hazara coal miners in Mach have been called off following the successful negotiations between the government and families of the slain miners.

    Federal Minister Ali Zaidi and National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri said that the government has agreed to accept the demands of the protesters and the army chief and the prime minister will visit the families of the victims after the last rites.

    Geo reported the leader of the Shuhada Action Committee Agha Raza as saying: the protests had been organised for the sake of the heirs of the deceased and were now being called off with their consent. Subsequently, the protesters in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad also started disbanding late in the night.

    On Friday, PM Imran Khan had drawn flak for saying the Hazara protesters were “blackmailing” him. According to the PM, the government has accepted all demands of the protesters, but their demand that they will not bury their dead unless the prime minister visits them is akin to blackmail.

    Balochistan’s Shia Hazara community had been protesting for the past six days in the freezing temperature of Quetta, refusing to bury their dead, in the wake of the murder of 11 miners in Mach, Bolan. On Sunday, 11 miners were kidnapped from their compound and killed by the armed men.

    The attack was claimed by the Islamic State. The protesters had demanded that the PM visit them personally and give them security assurances or they would not end their protest.

  • PM thinks Hazara community is blackmailing him by not burying loved ones

    PM thinks Hazara community is blackmailing him by not burying loved ones

    Prime Minister Imran Khan has once again asked the Hazara protesters to bury the dead bodies of the coal miners killed in the Mach attack.

    Speaking at a ceremony in Islamabad, Imran urged the protesters not to “blackmail the premier” because “anyone will be able to blackmail the PM then”, including the Pakistan Democratic Movement.

    According to the PM, the government has accepted all demands of the protesters, but their demand that they will not bury their dead unless the prime minister visits them is akin to blackmail.

    “Anyone will blackmail the prime minister then,” he said, adding that the PDM will also use this ‘tactic’ against him. “This blackmail has also been ongoing for two-and-a-half years,” he said referring to the opposition to his government.

    The PM said he has already told the minority community that he will visit them after the burial. “I am using this platform to say that if you {Hazaras] bury them today, I will go to Quetta today to meet the families of the slain miners,” he added.

    He also termed the protesters decision of not burying the dead bodies ‘illogical’.

    PM Imran’s remarks come after Balochistan’s Shia Hazara community continued to protest for a sixth straight day in freezing temperature, refusing to bury their dead. On Sunday, 11 miners were kidnapped from their compound and killed by the armed men. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State.

    Subsequently, thousands of protesters blocked Quetta’s key western bypass, demanding that PM personally visits them and assure them of security.

    Protests are also being held in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad against the murder of the minority group members.

  • Malala requests PM Imran to visit Hazara community

    Malala requests PM Imran to visit Hazara community

    Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai has appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan to visit the Hazara community who are protesting in Quetta after 10 coal miners were brutally killed by terrorists five days ago.

    In a tweet, Malala wrote: “I am short of words to express my grief over the brutal killings of Hazara miners. This is not the first time that this has happened. But I hope it is the last.” 

    She added that the whole country is mourning the tragedy before requesting PM Imran to visit the victims.

    The families of the departed have also been protesting for five consecutive days and have refused to bury the slain coal miners until the premier visits them.

    Meanwhile, PM Khan has requested the members of the Hazara community to bury their loved ones and has assured them that he stands with them in their time of suffering.

    On the other hand, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz visited the protesters on Thursday to express solidarity with them.

  • Hamza Ali Abbasi condemns Hazara killings

    Hamza Ali Abbasi condemns Hazara killings

    Hamza Ali Abbasi has expressed his sorrow and grief over the horrific attack that took place on Sunday in Balochistan’s Bolan district and left 11 coal miners belonging to the Shia Hazara community dead. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack.

    “The horrifying tragedy inflicted by a few evil men on the Hazara community is so heartbreaking that all I can tell myself to feel some peace is that God is watching everything,” wrote Hamza on social media.

    “May Allah bless the souls of the victims and give courage to the families,” added the actor.

    People from Hazara community are currently protesting at the Western Bypass, Quetta, saying they won’t bury their dead till Prime Minister Imran Khan personally visits them and assures them of security.

    Meanwhile, PM Imran Khan has requested the Hazara community to “please bury your loved one so their souls find peace”, adding that he “shares” their pain and will come to them soon.

  • How will visiting victim families benefit PM, Zulfi asks Hazara protesters

    How will visiting victim families benefit PM, Zulfi asks Hazara protesters

    The families of slain Hazara coal miners and thousands of protesters have refused to end their sit-in being held at the Western Bypass, Quetta, saying they won’t bury their dead till Prime Minister Imran Khan personally assures them of security.

    At least 11 Hazara miners were shot dead by the Islamic State in Mach, Bolan, on Sunday. After the killings, the mourners have been staging a sit-in in Quetta for the past four days.

    PM’s aide Zulfi Bukhari, federal minister Ali Zaidi also visited the protesters, but they said they will not end the protest unless PM Imran comes to their protest camp. A video of Zulfi and the protest organisers negotiating has also been making rounds on social media.

    In the video, Zulfi is seen assuring the protesters that the PM will visit them soon. The Hazara community representative can be heard saying that the PM’s visit will be beneficial for the entire country. At this, Zulfi asks: “How is the premier going to benefit from this visit?”

    At this, the organiser says: “We are saying the PM’s visit will at least solace the families of the slain miners.” Zulfi responds he promises that the PM will visit them. “We want the PM to visit Quetta and meet these families on this stage, in front of all these mourners,” the protester asserts.

    At Zulfi refuses to concede to their demand for a meeting with the PM, saying that if God forbid tragedy strikes in some other part of Pakistan, the victims will also start making demands like these… if someone else gets martyred [in a terrorist attack] and their families will start saying that we want this, not that and so on.”

    Meanwhile, Ali Zaidi also requested the protesters to take back their demand of a meeting with PM Imran.