Protesting Hazara refuse to bury miners
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed his inability to visit members of the Hazara community who have refused to bury 11 miners killed by Islamic State, even as protests over the their gruesome deaths spread to other parts of the country.
Khan on Wednesday urged the protesting members of Balochistan’s Shia Hazara community to bury the bodies of the miners killed in the brutal attack in Machh coalfield, promising he would visit them “very soon”.
“I want to reassure the Hazara families who lost their loved ones in a brutal terrorist attack in Machh that I am cognisant of their suffering and their demands,” he tweeted, adding that the government was taking steps to prevent such attacks in the future.
He also claimed he knew that “our neighbour is instigating this sectarian terrorism”.
Khan added, “I share your pain and have come to you before also to stand with you in your time of suffering. I will come again very soon to offer prayers and condole with all the families personally. I will never betray my people’s trust. Please bury your loved ones so their souls find peace.”
Angry protesters, however, said the prime minister’s assurance has not helped their cause in any way. Several roads in Karachi were blocked on Wednesday as protests continued for a second day.
The Majlis-i-Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) has insisted that they want Khan to visit Quetta where the bodies have been placed as part of the protest, and give assurances for the safety of the community. The MWM held protests in Karachi and Quetta on Tuesday that were attended by hundreds of people.