ISLAMABAD - In the wake of killing of 11 coal miners in the Mach district of Balochistan, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Friday warned that the federal and all the provincial capitals were under threat of fresh wave of terrorism.
“Islamabad and Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, and Peshawar are under fresh wave of terrorism and they are on high alert,” the minister said while addressing a press conference. He said that the intelligence reports suggest that the country is facing threats from India’s RAW and those working on the payroll of others. He also said twenty political personalities, including religious figures, were also under threats and they had been informed about it.
The interior minister condemned the Mach incident in strong terms and added that Hazara community was being targeted for the past many years and international forces were behind this. “I as interior minister cannot confirm that which terrorist group was behind this incident,” he said adding that a search operation was under the way to reach the culprits.
After the incident, the militant organization Islamic State (IS), also known as Daesh, had claimed responsibility for the killings. “We have busted four gangs during the last few months who were trying to spread sectarian clashes in the country by killing Ulema of the Shia and Sunni sects,” Sheikh Rashid said. He also said one of the gangs was arrested from Bharakahu area of Islamabad, and others from Karachi and Sargodha.
The Minister for Interior said that a joint information team (JIT) had been constituted to probe the killings of innocent labourers while district police officer, deputy commissioner and the entire administration concerned have had also been placed under suspension.
He said that the killings of people of Hazara community are part of the hybrid war against Pakistan. He informed that all the demands of Hazara community except the one for removal of the provincial government had been accepted. “However, it is regretful that some people are doing politics over burial of dead bodies,” he said adding that there was enough time for them to do politics and they should realize the gravity of the situation. He said that the implementation on their demands had also been started.
Sheikh Rashid said that the help of some Ulema and elders has been sought to negotiate with the protesters and hoped that the issue would be resolved soon. He said that Special Assistant to PM on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari and Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Zaidi were also staying in Quetta and hoped they would be able to convince the Hazara community for early burial of the deceased. He said that the government has sought cooperation from Shia Ulema, Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM) and some scholars to play their role so that the families would bury the deceased. “There will be a positive outcome of talks.”
The interior minister said Prime Minister Imran Khan would leave for Quetta shortly after the burial issue was resolved. He said the Prime Minister wanted to go there for a detailed meeting after the burial, so the talks could be held in better environment. “PM is ready and he also has had special sympathy for Hazara community. PM has a political approach to culminate those spreading sectarianism and terrorism.”
The minister said that directives had been issued to FC to conduct search in the Mach area so those involved in the killing could be brought to justice. He said that those Afghan national killed in the incident would also be given compensation.
About the performance of intelligence and law enforcement agencies, the minister said that they had taken many actions in the past but these could not be shared with the media. Responding a question about the delay in the visit of PM to Quetta, he said that there was some information that cannot be shared.
The interior minister said that speeches of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and vice president PML-N Maryam Nawaz at the protest sit-in in Quetta were political in nature. He said that JUI-F leader Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, according to some media reports, had stressed upon the protestors not to end the sit-in.