ISLAMABAD, Jan 8 (APP): Following several rounds of talks, the martyrs’ committee of the slain colliers of the Hazara community, late Friday agreed to call off their six-day sit-in, after acceptance of all their demands.
The agreement came after the last round held between the committee members and Chief Minister Balochistan Jam Kamal Khan, Deputy Speaker National Assembly Qasim Suri and Ministers Ali Zaidi, and Zulfi Bukhari.
Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi announced the decisions taken at the meeting in which all demands of the Hazara community have been met and said the incident was not only tragic for one community but in fact shocked the entire nation, regardless of their sect and religion.
He said for the progress of the country, it was vital that all communities live together with peace and harmony, so as to foil the designs of the enemies who want to create chaos.
Ali Zaidi said officials responsible for the security lapse have already been suspended, and a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) formed to probe the incident. He said the government has also directed law enforcement agencies to review their security plans.
The Hazara community had staged a sit-in, along with the coffins of their martyrs at the western bypass in biting cold for the past six days. They refused to bury them till the Prime Minister personally assured them security and met their demands.
Following the talks, an official source confirmed that Prime Minister Imran Khan would be visiting Quetta soon to meet the members of the bereaved families.
Prime Minister Imran Khan earlier in the day extended his full support to the Hazara community and again assured the provision of necessary security. He asked them to bury the dead, who were killed in a terrorist attack in Mach on Sunday, January 3, in District Bolan, Balochistan.
Since that day their family, friends, joined by thousands of protesters across the country have been demanding the arrest of the perpetrators and security for the Hazara community.
Chief Minister Jam Kamal thanked the bereaved families for accepting their request for the burial of those killed in the terrorist attack. He said the Prime Minister and the Chief of Army Staff would be visiting Quetta to review the law and order situation and meet the affected people.
Home department shall be improving its mechanisms in a wide spectrum to combat and apprehend security aspects… already in pipe line steps shall imrpove the current mechanism and more shall be planned pic.twitter.com/5bMAC8KDv6
— Jam Kamal Khan (@jam_kamal) January 8, 2021
Earlier the spokesperson of the Balochistan government Liaquat Shahwani said all demands of the protesters have been accepted by the government and the committee has agreed to end the sit-in.
Following the successful talks and end of the Quetta sit-in, the Majlis-e-Wehdat-e-Muslimeen and other organizations holding sit-ins at several major cities and towns also ended their protest. The road closures led to the cancellation of around 50 domestic and international flights from Karachi international in the past few days.
Attached are demands + written agreement offered by the Govt.
Although, no one can ever put a value on human life, but for info, the agreed compensation is much higher than what the agreement says.
Q: If all is agreed, then who is playing politics with bodies of the martyrs? pic.twitter.com/2OEnJVaavT— Ali Haider Zaidi (@AliHZaidiPTI) January 8, 2021
