Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Pakistani Shiites bury ISIS-slain miners
QUETTA, Pakistan — Hundreds of Pakistani Shiites gathered Saturday to bury 11 coal miners from the minority Hazara community who were killed by the Islamic State group, ending a week of protests that sought to highlight the community’s plight.
Protesters staged a sit-in after the militant group captured and shot the miners last Sunday in Machh, an area some 30 miles east of Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s troubled Baluchistan province.
Prime Minister Imran Khan arrived in Quetta on Saturday afternoon and was expected to meet with a delegation of mourners and Shiite leaders, according to his office. Shiite demonstrators across the country — who blocked roads in major cities — had demanded he visit the grieving minority community and ensure their protection.
On Friday, Khan appealed to the protesters not to link the burial of the miners to his visit, vowing that he would visit afterward. Under Islamic tradition, burials take place as quickly as possible after death.
Dozens of Shiites rallied Friday night in the capital, Islamabad, denouncing Khan for calling the mourners blackmailers.
The premier sent a group of ministers and top officials to negotiate with the Hazara community, leading the mourners to agree to a funeral.
Islamic State militants abducted, then shot and killed the miners in Baluchistan. Police video of their bodies revealed the miners had been blindfolded and their hands tied behind their backs before being shot.