Pakistan’s Shia Hazara community members blocked several roads in Balochistan’s capital city Quetta as they held protests against the massacre of 11 coal miners from the minority community by the Islamic State terrorists in the restive province, according to media reports on Monday.
The Hazara community members were joined by some political parties as they blocked several roads in the provincial capital, demanding the Balochistan government either arrest the terrorists responsible for the killing or resign, the Geo News reported.
Terrorists on Sunday abducted and shot dead the 11 coal miners after separating them from others, in the latest targeted attack on the minority communities in the country.
The miners were shot dead from a close range shortly after being abducted by the armed terrorists in the province’s mountainous Machh area. The Islamic State has taken responsibility for the attack.
Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) leader Syed Muhammad Agha Raza said Prime Minister Imran Khan should come to Quetta to meet them and reassure the families of the victims. A traffic jam was reported at the thoroughfare from the Baleli checkpost to the intersection at Quetta’s Airport Road due to the protest, with dozens of vehicles stranded and passengers and transporters facing difficulties in travelling.
Various Hazara political parties and organisations held a meeting to discuss the Machh massacre and strategies going forward. The government of Balochistan ruled out any security lapses and its spokesperson, Liaquat Shahwani, told the daily that the incident was an act of terrorism.