ISLAMABAD: Following several rounds of talks, the martyrs’ committee of the slain colliers of the Hazara community, 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 federal minister Ali Zaidi, and PM’s aide 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. He 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.
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, sources confirmed that Prime Minister Imran Khan would be visiting Quetta soon to meet the members of the bereaved families. He 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 Machh.
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.
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.
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
