Hazaras refuse to bury dead as Pakistan protest continues

People from the Hazara community chant slogans during a sit-in protest against the killing of coal mine workers near the Machh coal field in Quetta on Wednesday.

Quetta - Hundreds of mourners are continuing a sit-in for a fourth straight day to protest the killing of 11 Hazara coal miners by Daesh group

By AFP

Published: Wed 6 Jan 2021, 9:46 PM

Last updated: Wed 6 Jan 2021, 10:04 PM

Hundreds of mourners in Pakistan protested on Wednesday for a fourth day alongside the bodies of miners killed in a brutal attack claimed by the Daesh group, as officials urged them to bury their dead.

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Up to 2,500 people from the Hazara community have since Sunday blocked a road on the outskirts of Quetta, capital of Balochistan province, demanding better protection.

There were also protests in the port city of Karachi.

Ten miners were kidnapped by gunmen from a remote colliery before being taken to nearby hills where most were shot dead.

Some were beheaded, said officials who did not want to be named.

“This is systematic ethnic cleansing of Hazaras in Balochistan and our security forces are behaving like lame ducks, doing nothing,” said Zainab Ahman, an activist among the mourners.

Ethnic Hazaras make up most of the Shia population in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan — the country’s largest region.

Two ministers, representing Prime Minister Imran Khan, flew to Quetta on Wednesday to try to convince the mourners to end the protest.

Khan tweeted that the government was taking steps to prevent such attacks, but gave no details.

“Please bury your loved ones so their souls find peace,” he added.

Two of the miners were Afghans and their bodies returned home for burial, a local security official told AFP.

The attack was claimed by Daesh, according to SITE Intelligence, which monitors militant activities worldwide.