Rally held to protest against sectarian killings

QUETTA - Different Shia organisations on Sunday took out a rally to protest the targeted killing of members of Shia community in Balochistan and demanded for deployment of Army in Quetta. The leaders and activists of Majlis Wahdat-ul-Muslimeen, Shia Ulema Council, Shia Conference and Hazara Qaumi Jirga participated in the rally which after marching through various roads of the City gathered outside Musa Check Post at Quetta Cantt where they staged a sit-in. Participants of rally were shouting slogans against target killing of Shia Muslims and failure of govt to arrest the culprits. Addressing the protesters, Ashraf Zehdi, Allama Mehdi Najafi, Jama Asadi, Qaum Changezai, Sardar Sadat Hazara and Abdul Ali crticised provincial and Federal governments, saying they had miserably failed to stop incidents of sectarian target killing and violence in the province. 'Members of Shia community hailing from every segment of life have been targeted and killed, they said, adding, that government had failed to arrest the culprits and bring them to book. They said hundreds of innocent people have been killed in incidents of targeted killing which indicate the inability of government to control law and order. 'We want deployment of Army in Quetta city for maintaining law and order, they demanded, and,added, until and unless their demand is accepted they would not call off their demo. They alleged that govt was also backing some banned outfits involved in the incidents of sectarian killing and warned if incidents of sectarian violence and target killing were not stopped the situation would be more complicated. They demanded for immediate end of alleged genocide of people of Hazara community and the authorities concerned must take practical steps in this connection. They announced that besides Pakistan, Shia community on October 1st would hold demos against target killings in US, Australia and other countries. Later on, Shia leaders were called to Cantt area where they held meeting with senior Army officials and apprised them of their grievances. After the meeting, Shia leaders told media persons that Army officials had ensured them that they would convey their demands and a reservation to high-ups of the government. After the assurance of senior Army officials, the protesters called off their sit-in and dispersed peacefully.

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