During one week 15 persons including Additional District and Sessions Judge have been killed in different incidents of targeted killings in Quetta. Thirteen of them belonged to Hazara community. According to details, some persons from Hazara community were waiting for a bus for carrying vegetables and fruits from Hazarganji market on the outskirts of city. Some armed men riding motorcycles appeared there and opened fire at two places. Seven persons namely Ali Baba, Jawwad, Muhammad Ali, Noroaz, Raza, Noor and Aziz Ali were killed. After these killings, angry people entered houses in A-One City, Faisal town, BMC and other areas and harassed inmates. They resorted to aerial firing in which two more persons were killed. Ten persons including policemen Khadim, Muhammad Safa, Qasim Ali, Sher Baz, Hafiz, Liaqat, Abdul Jaleel and Qadeer sustained serious injuries.
Law enforcement agencies' personnel reached the scene but situation flared and went out of their control. On news of firing and jalao and gherao in western part of city, people in other areas shut their businesses. Security of mosques and Imambargahs was enhanced in sensitive areas of the city after these incidents.
Hazara Democratic Party, Shia Conference and Azadari Council have announced seven-day mourning against killing incidents. Protestors staged a sit-in in front of UN office along with bodies. They were demanding UN of taking notice of such incidents of targeted killings. They said an unending process of target killing of Hazara community was going on in the city.
Our Monitoring Desk adds: Frontier Corps (FC) has been given policing authorities for two months in Quetta after sectarian killings in the city, a private TV channel reported. According to the channel, this decision was taken in a high-level meeting held at Chief Minister's House.