Complete strike in Quetta

QUETTA A complete shutterdown was observed in the provincial capital on Saturday, amid the burial of the victims, to mourn the loss of 65 innocent lives in Fridays suicide bombing in a rally organised by Imamia Students Organisation (ISO) in connection with Youm-e-Quds. Most of the markets and business centres at Jinnah Road, Sharah-e-Iqbal, Liaquat Bazaar, Prince Road, Abdul Sattar Road, Marriabad and Hazara Town remained closed. Balochistan Shia Council (BSC) gave the strike call, which was supported by all political parties and the business community to express their solidarity with the survivors of the victims. Very thin traffic was witnessed on the roads while the govt had announced holiday in all educational institutions in wake of tense situation in the city. Administration had taken strike security measures as police backed by personnel of Frontier Corps, Balochistan Constabulary and Anti Terrorist Force were deployed in all sensitive areas. The mobile squads of the security forces continued patrolling different roads till evening to avoid any unpleasant situation. However, no untoward incident was reported from any part of the city. Meanwhile, moving scenes were witnessed when suicide blast victims were brought to Hazara Graveyard where 45 victims were laid to rest. Thousands of people attended their funeral prayers. Sources said the death toll had jumped from 59 to 65 overnight after some critically wounded people died in the hospitals. They said 13 suspected persons were being interrogated after they had been arrested from different parts of Quetta in connection with the Fridays tragic incident. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Balochistan Nawab Aslam Khan Raisani directed to form a judicial tribunal, comprising judges from Balochistan High court, to conduct an inquiry into the suicide attack. He also ordered setting up a ministerial commission, headed by Home Minister Mir Zafarullah Zehri. The commission would also include provincial ministers Jan Ali Chungazi and Ainullah Shams while Secretary Interior Akbar Hussain Durrani would be the secretary of the commission. The commission would work to take review of citys situation in the perspective of terror attacks and to gain consensus amongst people belonging to different sects. It would also review motives behind terror attacks besides formulating recommendations to stop the heinous activities.

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