QUETTA – Another 11 people including a woman, mostly hailing from our Pakistani Shia community, were gunned down in an incident of ‘sectarian killing’ in the provincial capital on Saturday morning.
Banned CIA backed terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed responsibility for the murder of 11 people in Quetta. The tragic murder of the members belonging to the Shia community sparked riots in Quetta as the protestors vandalised vehicles, motorbikes and shops besides blocking roads by burning tyres. It is third incident of violence in the province during the past 24 hours wherein 20 people have been killed including a nephew of the Balochistan chief minister. Four unknown armed assailants opened indiscriminate fire on a Suzuki van carrying members of the Shia community of Hazara tribe near Killi Mubarik at Spini Road, and fled from the scene after committing the crime.
As a result, 11 people were killed while three others including a child received bullet injuries. One of the rickshaw drivers also came under attack and died on the spot. After the intense firing, the van driver lost control and the vehicle plunged into a roadside ditch. The police that rushed to the spot and the people already gathered there shifted the bodies and the injured to Bolan Medical Complex hospital. Later on, all the injured were moved to Combined Military Hospital. The victims were going to Marriabad from Hazara town when they were attacked. The deceased were identified as Ali Muhammad, Syed Ameer Khan, Mir Muhammad, Hussain Ahmed, Syed Aqil Shah, Abidullah, Liaquat Ali, Muhammad Raza, Muhammad Ibrahim and Qurban Ali. The three injured included Halima Bibi, Nadir Ali and Daud.
While terming the incident as ‘sectarian killing’, a senior police officer said the faces of attackers were covered and they managed to escape through narrow streets at Spiny Road. An eyewitness, Subzal Khan, told this scribe that three people were waiting in a white car. When the van carrying Hazara people reached there, one of them disembarked, having Kalashnikov in his hand, and sprayed a volley of bullets on it. “Soon after the firing, armed man got into the car and fled into nearby streets” he added. As the news of the killings spread around, a large number of people including the bereaved families reached the hospital and strongly protested against the barbaric incident. An angry mob blocked Brewery Road and Sabzal Road by torching tyres and pelted nearby vehicles with stones. Unidentified people set two vehicles, one rickshaw, four motorbikes and some bicycles on fire and also tried to set ablaze a hotel at Brewery Road which was saved by the law enforcement agencies. The violent protesters damaged some shops while sporadic gun firing was heard at Hazara town. The riots forced the shopkeepers at main business areas of the city to shut their shops and the people preferred to stay at homes.
A large number of activists of Hazara Democratic Party staged a demonstration outside the Quetta Press Club and chanted slogans against the government and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits. The Saturday’s attack came a day after seven people were killed by unidentified gunmen at Sariab Road who were preparing to leave for Iran. Tahaffuz-e-Azadari Council has announced 40-day mourning over the killings while Hazara Democratic Party had given a shutter down call in Quetta on Sunday (today). Rao Amin Hashim, Balochistan IGP, told the media persons that 250 suspects were taken into custody during different raids. The police had already started screening these suspects who would be released if proved innocent, he said. He said hopefully the police would get some clue that might lead to track down real culprits and mastermind of these killings.
Balochistan Governor Nawaz Zulfiqar Ali Magsi and Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani strongly condemned the brutal murder of innocent people and ordered for immediate arrest of the culprits involved in the carnage. Meanwhile, Ali Sher Haideri, who claims to be the spokesman of banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, called different newspapers offices and TV channels and claimed the responsibility for the killing of eleven persons and said the attacks would continue on the members of Shia community. Meanwhile, unidentified assailants killed four people, including an Iranian man, in bordering town of Kech, about 1,050 kilometres southwest of Quetta on Saturday. Officials confirmed the incident, saying that an Iranian man, Abdur Razzak, along with his three colleagues was heading to Mand from Talang in his vehicle when unknown armed motorcyclists fired shots at them, injuring them critically. They died before reaching hospital, added the officials. The personnel of Levis Force handed over the bodies to heirs after legal formalities. A case has been registered while investigations are underway.
Analysts and experts believe that this sectarian killing spree by a CIA backed group in this region is a deliberate attempt to worsen the law and order situation in the Balochistan province and facilitate the Hazara and BLA, MI6-CIA backed separatist movements to fool the masses for their agenda.
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