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By SJA Jafri + Bureau Reports
MACH/ QUETTA/ ISLAMABAD/ KARACHI: Despite efforts made by the federal and provincial authorities, thousands of mourners belonging to the Shia Hazara community, who have blockaded a highway here with the bodies of slain coal miners, have refused to end their sit-in which entered the third consecutive day on Wednesday.
Even extremely cold weather could not force the protesters, including women and children, to leave the Western Bypass area. They are protesting over the cold-blood killing of 11 coal miners in the Mach area early Sunday morning.
“We will not call off our sit-in and bury our loved ones until Prime Minister Imran Khan personally meets the mourners,” Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) leader Syed Agha Raza said, adding that the mourners would not compromise on the blood of the coal miners.
He said that the families of the deceased were not ready to bury their loved ones until the arrest of the perpetrators of the heinous crime and removal of the Balochistan coalition government headed by Jam Kamal Khan Alyani.
On the other hand, Balochistan government spokesman Liaquat Ali Shahwani has termed the demand for resignation of the provincial government unjustified and said that after the Balochistan Awami Party and its allies came to power, terrorist attacks on Hazara people and other subversive activities in the province had reduced to great extent.
“Suicide attacks and other incidents of terrorism have decreased by 80 per cent in the province,” he said while talking to Dawn. He said it was the provincial government which had taken concrete steps and provided secure atmosphere to the people of Hazara community in Quetta.
“They were earlier restricted to Hazara Town and another locality. But now they are free to move anywhere and even they are seen enjoying at picnic points,” Shahwani said.
Security forces and law enforcement agencies were taking all possible steps for the arrest of those involved in the Mach incident, he said.
Meanwhile, provincial ministers Zahoor Ahmed Buledi, Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind, Ziaullah Langove and Mobeen Khilji held talks with the mourners and tried to convince them to call off their protest and bury the dead, but the latter refused to do so.
In a late-night development, Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Zaidi and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfiqar Bukhari arrived here aboard a special plane.
According to sources, they arrived in the provincial capital on the directives of the prime minister to hold talks with the protesters. Prime Minister Khan was 
expected to reach Quetta for a meeting with the leaders of Hazara community, the sources added.
“The zulm that was done to our people, even animals don’t do this to their foes. This genocide must stop now,” a visibly shaken Hazara woman said at the protest condemning the Mach massacre on Tuesday outside the Karachi Press Club.
The emotionally charged protest was organized by the residents of Hussain Hazara Goth in solidarity with the victims of the Mach coal mine attack where 11 Hazara Shia miners were brutally murdered. The Islamic State group, also known by the Arabic acronym Daesh, claimed responsibility for the killing.
Sit-ins by the members of Hazara community were held at various spots in the city including Abbas Town and Numaish, as well as the emotionally charged protest at KPC. Over 200 men, women and children from the Hazara community demanded that Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa ensure the safety of their community.
“Their limbs were tied, their mouths stuffed shut and then they were slaughtered. Is this Madina ki riyasat? This slaughter must stop. We want this genocide to stop,” a young woman at the protest said.
Yet another questioned whether these Hazara men were any lesser Pakistanis. The girls lamented that the media did not give the massacre adequate coverage and their grievances remained unheard.
Holding red and green flags printed with “Ya Hussain”, many other youngsters were seen holding placards which urged that “ethnic cleansing” of Hazaras be stopped.
The protest moved many, including many hardened and sceptical journalists at the press club, who stepped outside to show solidarity with the stoically resilient Hazaras. The protesters were also joined by relatives of Baloch missing persons who condemned the Mach massacre strongly.
“We have some questions. In the past 20 years we have lost thousands of lives. The only slogan we ever raise is “Pakistan Zindabad”, we have never said (anything) anti-Pakistan and this is what we get,” questioned a speaker. “Why 
are we being killed? What is our fault? This ethnic cleansing of Hazara community will continue till when? Are we not Muslims? How is Daesh finding a foothold in Pakistan? We are a peaceful people, please let us remain peaceful. Yesterday a sister of ours said in Quetta that all the men in her family were killed. The way things are, no man from our community will be left,” he said.
The protestors said that if the demands of mourners in Quetta are not accepted, they will continue their protests and stage a dharna.
“The Hazaras are peaceful people. We have spent over 20 years picking the bodies of our loved ones. They killed our students, college-going youngsters, we have been held hostage in a small zone in Quetta. We want the government 
to provide security to us and ensure our safety,” they stressed.
The protestors strongly questioned why security institutions were unable to end the “genocide” of the Hazaras.
Meanwhile, protests mainly organized by Majlis-i-Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM), supported by other parties, were attended by hundreds of people including men, women and children, adds Our Staff Reporter. The sit-ins were held in North Karachi near Powerhouse Chowrangi, Numaish traffic intersection and Abbas Town on main Abul Ispahani Road.
“If someone really is concerned about our security and tragedy we are facing, it must be reflected by their moves,” said Maulana Sadiq Jaffery, senior leader 
of the MWM while addressing the protesters at Numaish. “It’s so unfortunate the presence of hundreds of women and children [in] chilling cold in Quetta has not inspired the authorities. These protesters want peace, not violence or bloodshed. So protest is the only option left for us to convey our concerns which would continue.”
The sit-in continued for hours and remained peaceful, though it badly affected the traffic flow on respective roads. The first sit-in was staged in North Karachi and in the evening, hundreds of people converged at the Numaish traffic intersection.
Along with the MWM, the Shia Ulema Council, Jafria Alliance, Imamia Students Organization and Jafria Students Organization also participated in the protest.
In the meantime, dozens of other sit-ins, rallies and protests have been spread nationwide including Lahore, Peshawar, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Azad-Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and many other small and big cities and town but the world especially, America, Great Britain and Australia that always ‘bark like a wild dog’ (non-stop) on mere-looking matters even on animal rights but these countries are still salient which is not only shameless but it has also been proved that they are the real terrorists, facilitators, financers, supporters, supervisors and campaigners of al-Qaeda, Deash, ISIS, ISIL, Taliban etc., victims and sources concluded.
