Hazara mourners agree to call off Quetta sit-in, bury slain miners
QUETTA: After successful negotiations between Balochistan government and Quetta sit-in organisers, the participants have agreed to bury the 11 colliers massacred by terrorists last week in Machh area of Balochistan’s Bolan district.
Chief Minister Jam Kamal headed the negotiating team which included Federal Minister Ali Zaidi, Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri and other provincial ministers and federal government officials.
According to spokesperson of Balochistan government Liaquat Shahwani, all demands of the protesters have been accepted by the government.
According to the agreement reached between the government and the sit-in committee, strict action will be taken against those found responsible for negligence in the Machh incident.
A high-level commission has been set-up, led by the provincial home minister on the incident, it reads.
“The Balochistan government will provide Rs1.5 million each to the families of martyrs. Federal and provincial security agencies will review the security situation in Balochistan. NADRA passport and immigration offices will solve problems faced by Hazara community. The Balochistan government will provide employment to the heirs of martyrs.”
Prime Minister Imran Khan is likely to leave for Quetta tonight, according to sources as preparations for his departure have been completed at Nur Khan Airbase.
Armed attackers had slaughtered 11 miners near a mine site in Balochistan's Machh coalfield area on Sunday. Da'ish claimed the responsibility of the gruesome attack.
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Since then thousands of Hazaras had been protesting while sitting along with the coffins of their loved ones in Quetta. Separate protest sit-ins at multiple locations in Karachi, Lahore and other major cities are also being held across the country.
Shipping and Maritime Affairs Minister Ali Haider Zaidi, while addressing the sit-in participants, said good governance has been a major issue in Pakistan and many of the matters could be addressed aptly if the same is addressed accordingly.
He said that the government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is striving to make the governance better but many hidden forces are creating hurdles in the way.
Persecution of different communities, especially Hazaras, must be stopped in the country, he stressed.
Ali Zaidi said that all officials found neglecting their duties have already been suspended, adding that a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) has also been formed to further look into the gruesome terrorism act.
The minister said that the government has also asked federal and provincial law enforcing forces to review their security plan for the protection of the persecuted minority in the province.
He said that Pakistan rises with the prosperity of Balochistan but unfortunately, despite being the most naturally-resourced province it lags behind the rest of the country.
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Ali Zaidi said that there were many issues facing the nation but “if we're united then we can overcome them all”.
All previous governments only made verbal promises but “we have made a written agreement with the sit-in organisers”, he maintained.
On Prime Minister Imran’s controversial remarks, he said that the word "blackmail" was not meant for the sit-in participants but stopped short of naming anyone.
Balochistan CM Jam Kamal, while addressing the sit-in participants, said that the provincial government is trying its best to serve the people. "I am not claiming that we have achieved everything, but we have given a direction," he added.
He said that there is no governance without justice. "If justice is not served then it creates agitation," he added.
CM Jam Kamal said that the issues of Balochistan were not taken seriously or were overlooked in the past but as a nation “we cannot afford to do so any longer”.
He further said that the government should not need any tragic incident to discuss the fundamental rights of the people but everyone must be able to enjoy them without any problem.
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NA Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, speaking on the occasion, said that as soon as the burial of the slain colliers takes place PM Imran would leave Islamabad for Quetta, adding that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa would accompany him.
A spokesperson for Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) Pakistan, after the successful negotiation between government and protesters in Quetta, announced calling off sit-ins across the country.
The martyrs of Machh have once again united the entire nation against terrorism, he said and added that the blood of the martyrs would lead towards elimination of Da'ish and terrorism in Pakistan.
(With additional input from News Desk)