Strike against killing of 8 Shia men in Quetta

07 May, 2011 12:48

Strike against killing of 8 Shia men in Quetta

political parties including Hazara Democratic Party and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party appealed to masses to observe strike in protest against killing of seven people in Quetta, Shiite News Correspodent reported on Saturday from Quetta.

Earlier, people took to the streets on late Friday and set tires on fire to block traffic, registering their protest against rising lawlessness and killings in the city, police sources told media.

It may be mentioned here that as many as 8 people were martyred and 15 others wounded in firing and rocket attacks in Hazara Town, Brewery Road area, here on Friday.

The defunct Wahabi-terrorists outfit funded by American and Saudi-Government, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi sister organization of outlawed Sipah-e-Sahaba, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Preliminary investigations by the police have confirmed this was a sectarian attack.

Police officials said dozens of people belonging to the Hazara community were busy taking their morning walks at around 6:30 am at a ground adjacent to the Hazara Town graveyard when unknown armed men riding on two pick-ups arrived and fired three rockets and lethal automatic weapons.

Seven people died on the spot, while more than 15 others sustained injuries. â€œIn minutes, the playground turned into a slaughter house,â€ an eyewitness told media. Some news agencies reported that at least eight persons were killed in the incident.

Police and Frontier Corps personnel cordoned off the area and local people took the bodies and the injured to the Bolan Medical Collage Hospital and the CMH.

â€œThe condition of at least four of the injured is critical,â€ hospital sources said. Angered by the attack, hundreds of people of Hazara community blocked the

western bypass by putting barricades and burning tyres. All vehicular traffic, including movement of trucks and trailers carrying Nato supplies, was suspended.

Local administration officials and police tried to persuade the protesters to disperse but they said they would not leave the road till the attackers were arrested.

Sources said that police officer Amir Khan Dasti was injured when he was attacked with a dagger when he was talking to the protesters.

The deceased Haji Mohammad Ibrahim, Mohammad Ismail, Jan Ali, Ali Dad, Jawad and Hukam Bibi were buried in Hazara

graveyard where hundreds of people attended their funeral.

Balochistan Governor Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi and Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani condemned the attack and asked investigation officials to submit their report as soon as possible.

Presiding over a meeting here, the chief minister asked police and other law-enforcement agencies to take steps to protect citizens. He said police should use all available resources to bring the killers to justice.

He ordered increased patrolling and more police checkpoints in sensitive areas.