Daily Times

The Islamic State, also known by its Arabic acronym Da’ish, Saturday claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing that martyred at least 20 people in Quetta’s vegetable market, as the provincial capital mourned the irreparable loss of the precious lives.

The attack ripped through the outdoor market on Friday, martyring at least 20 people – including nine members of the Shia Hazara community and a soldier of the paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) – and injuring 48 others.

Interestingly, the terrorist attack was also claimed by a faction of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which on Friday said it collaborated with the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ). However, no official confirmation came from the latter.

The Hazara community of Quetta is staging a sit-in on the Western Bypass since Friday to protest against what they term the ‘persistent failure’ of the law enforcement authorities to provide them security in Balochistan and across Pakistan. Members of the community, including women and children, set tyres on fire and blocked the Western Bypass, while protests were also staged in front of the Quetta Press Club.

Hazara community’s sit-in against ‘persistent failure’ of law enforcement authorities to provide them protection continues on second day

As the sit-in at Western Bypass entered its second day on Saturday, the protesters remained steadfast on their demands – immediate action against the perpetrators of the attacks; implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) without any discrimination, and an earnest effort by the state to fulfill its responsibility of providing security to its people.

The attacks were condemned by leaders of all political parties and there were renewed calls for a comprehensive security plan for Balochistan and proper implementation of NAP. Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan on Saturday visited the protest camp and vowed that terrorists involved in the deadly blast will be brought to book. He said the provincial government shares the grief of those who lost their loved ones in the blast. He said terrorists are a collective enemy of all and not just a particular tribe or a province.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader and Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Zaidi also visited Quetta on Saturday. After offering prayers at the graves of the victims, he spoke to media to reiterate the federal government’s resolve to bolster Balochistan’s security situation. “We will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to apprehend the perpetrators of these attacks against the Hazara community,” he said. “The PTI-led government is focused on ensuring thorough implementation of NAP and we will do everything in our power to allay the concerns of the protesters,” he added.

Embassy of Iran in Pakistan also strongly condemned the terrorist attack. “Our thoughts are with the victims and we pray the Almighty for early recovery of the injured,” the embassy said in a statement.

The Hazara community has been disproportionately targeted by sectarian violence as they are easily identifiable due to their distinctive physical appearance. A report released by the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) last year stated that 509 members of Hazara community were killed and 627 injured in various incidents of terrorism in Quetta from January 2012 to Dec 2017.