Daily Times

QUETTA: The Hazara community announced to call off days-long protest in the provincial capital after a meeting with Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa early Wednesday morning.

Gen Bajwa arrived in the city late Tuesday evening and held a meeting with representatives of the Hazara community that has been hit badly by incidents of targeted killing in the city. The beleaguered community was protesting against continued attacks on Hazaras, the most recent being the killing of two community members on Saturday.

Gen Bajwa, while meeting with the community members, assured that those who have targeted the community will ‘suffer twice as much’, according to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The state is responsible for the security of the citizenry, ISPR further quoted the COAS as saying.

According to ISPR, representatives shared their concerns about target killing of the community with the COAS.”Each and every casualty, including from the Hazara community, is of concern to us,” the COAS told them. “Through a unified national effort, we have turned the tide of terrorism; however, a lot is still being done against inimical designs to reverse the gains by exploiting various fault lines,” he added.

“We are Muslims first and then anything else. Every Pakistani irrespective of religion, sect, language or caste has to stay steadfast and united to defeat hostile forces trying to create divisions,” ISPR quoted the army chief as saying during the meeting.

Following the meeting, the Hazara community announced to end protests and posted full trust in the Pakistan Army, pledging their full support in defeating the hostile agenda of the enemies.

In a Facebook post, lawyer and activist Jalila Haider, leading the hunger strike, said the strike was called off on the request of the army chief and the interior minister after assurances that the community will be protected.

“I expect the youth to stay focused on their positive endeavours towards self and nation-building. Trust and assist the state in taking Pakistan forward to its rightful destination,” the ISPR statement quoted Gen Bajwa.

Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, Commander of Southern Command Lt Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa, Home Minister Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti, Inspector General of Frontier Corps Maj Gen Nadeem Ahmed Anjum and IG of Balochistan Police Moazzam Jah Ansari were also present in meeting between the army chief and the Hazara community elders.

Officials briefed army chief and the interior minister on the security situation in Quetta and steps taken by the provincial government and law enforcement agencies after the recent wave of target killings in Quetta.

On Monday, Ahsan Iqbal had visited the protest camps across the city and reviewed the security situation with Inspector-General Balochistan Moazzam Jah Ansari and Inspector-General Frontier Corps Major General Nadeem Anjum and met with the families of the martyred policemen.

The Hazara community members staged demonstrations at three separate locations of the city, demanding protection from law enforcement agencies.

Jalila Haider and others had refused to end the hunger strike until the COAS visited Quetta in person.

Published in Daily Times, May 3^rd 2018.