Pakistan: Govt surrenders to Shiites demands, Balochistan Govt sacked, Governor rule imposed
Inbaa News Website –
Karachi – Pakistan –Sabir Karbalai:
Pakistan government sacked Balochistan government late on Sunday night and imposed governor rule in the province surrendering to the demands of Shia Muslims who are staging a historic sit-in to protest against the Alamdar Road Quetta Tragedy.
At least 87 people majority of which are Shiites were massacred in suicidal attacks near Punjabi Imam Bargah on Thursday night. After Friday prayers next day, the relatives and heirs of the martyrs, Quetta Yakjehti Council and Shia Hazara Tribe began sit-in and vowed not to bury their dear and near ones till their demands are not met.
They demanded dismissal of Balochistan chief minister, provincial government, imposition of governor rule and army control over Quetta.
Allama Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri, chief of Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen immediately announced all out support to the legitimate demands and called on all Shia Muslims of Pakistan to come out of their houses and begin a country-wide sit-in to express solidarity with the sitters-in of Quetta.
Mr. Jafri rushed to Quetta along with the central cabinet of his party. They all sat there and led the country-wide protest from there.
In an unprecedented show of unity and solidarity, Pakistani Shia Muslims came out of houses and joined sit-in in all over Pakistan.
Finally, President Asif Zardari dispatched Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to Quetta. After high-level meetings, he reached Punjabi Imam Bargah and announced dismissal of Balochistan Chief Minister Aslam Raeesani and his cabinet. He announced imposition of governor rule.
Answering to the objection of Allama Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri, Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf clarified that even a deputy commissioner is authorized to call in military to assist civil administration in maintaining law and order situation. He said that the F.C. was given police power to control law and order situation.
However, Allama Jafri of the MWM and Qayoom Changezi of Yakjehti Council refused to end the sit-in saying that the sit-in would end after a formal notification of governor rule would be issued. Prime Minister also announced withdrawal all of the cases (that were false and registered by biased administration) against the Shia Hazara Muslims.
Qayoom Changezi informed the Prime Minister that of 600,00 Hazara Shia Muslims, around 100,000 had to migrate due to genocide of Shia Muslims. He said that 1100 Hazara Shia Muslims were murdered during last 5 years.
Allama Amin Shaheedi, Allama Mirza Yousuf Hussain, Maulana Abu Zar Mehdavi, Allama Shafqat Shirazi, Allama Aijaz Behishti, Allama Maqsood Domki, Allama Hashim Moosavi of the MWM, Athar Imran of Imamia Students Organisation, Qayoom Changezi of Yakjehti Council and office bearers of Hazara Democratic Party and a number of Shia notables and federal information minister Qamar Zaman Kaira and Governor Balochistan Zulfiqar Magsi were also present during PM’s visit.