| Imran Khan tells Mach incident was part of a bigger game | Govt will track down and bring culprits to justice | Certain forces want to create Shia-Sunni rift in Muslim countries | Special cell to ensure Hazara’s security

QUETTA/ISLAMABAD  -  Prime Minister Imran Khan Saturday said the intelligence reports strongly suggest that India wants to stoke anarchy in Pakistan by attacking the religious scholars of different schools of thought and the Mach incident was also part of a bigger game.  

While talking to the families of eleven miners who were shot and killed in Sunday’s terror attack in Balochistan’s Mach district, the prime minister expressed the resolve that the government would track down the culprits involved in Mach tragedy and would bring them to justice. 

Also, the prime minister assured the Hazara community that the federal and provincial governments were making out all efforts to protect them. He said that a special cell is being established in the security forces to ensure the protection of Hazara community.

The Prime Minister said he and the entire nation fully shares the pain of Hazara community and stands behind them and that they will not be left alone at this critical juncture. He assured that the promises made with them would be fulfilled. 

Imran Khan said the government is putting in efforts to unite the nation and go after the elements trying to fan sectarian strife in the country. He said he is putting in effort to unite the Muslim Ummah that is why he also strived to improve Saudi Arabia-Iran ties.

The prime minister said India had been involved in such nefarious terrorist activities to create disharmony and sectarian strife in the country. “It is a part of that wider plot hatched by India to destablise the country and stir sectarian divide,” the prime minister said lauding efforts of Inter-Services-Intelligence (ISI) for foiling a number of terror plots aimed at targeting the religious leaders and creating chaos in the country.

He said, “Not only I am sharing your grief but the whole nation shared it. The whole nation stands with you, my government, provincial government and the intelligence agencies are standing with you.”

“My mission is not only to unite the whole country but the entire Muslim Ummah. To end this divide, we have tried to remove differences between Saudi Arabia and Iran,” he added

He further noted that Hazara community had suffered immensely in the hands of terrorism in past. He said that he had visited them in the past and faced threats when he condemned a sectarian group.

Sharing grief of the community, the prime minister cited Amna Bibi who lost her five brothers in the tragedy and Mohammad Sadiq who was the only bread earner of his sisters. The prime minister said he had sent federal ministers including interior minister Sheikh Rashid to console them and assure government’s full protection.   

‘35 or 40 terrorists’

The prime minister reiterated that the government would go behind the terrorist elements involved in the killing of Hazara people. There were 35 or 40 terrorists who had been involved in terrorism, he said, hinting at creation of a cell of security forces to give full protection to the community and eliminating terrorists.  

The prime minister further said that he had come to give the bereaved families and their community full confidence. He said that he had requested them to bury their dead, adding that he was in constant touch with all the stakeholders over the incident.

The prime minister separately met a number of bereaved families and underscored that the government would fulfill all its promises made with Hazara community.

‘Balochistan’s security’

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday also chaired a meeting to discuss with the federal and provincial leadership the overall security situation of the province, particularly the tragic killing of Hazara miners.

Governor of Balochistan Amanullah Khan Yasinzai, Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan, federal ministers Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Syed Ali Zaidi, Ali Amin Gandapur, Special Assistant to PM Zulfiqar Bukhari and Deputy Speaker National Assembly Qasim Khan Suri attended the meeting.

 Provincial Interior Minister Ziaullah Lango, Commander of Southern Command Lt General Sarfaraz Ali, Inspector General of Police Balochistan Mohsin Hassan Butt, Chief Secretary Capt (Retd) Fazeel Asghar and senior civil and military officers were also present.

The prime minister arrived Quetta after the families and Hazara community buried the bodies of the deceased miners and called off their countrywide sit-ins.  They had earlier linked calling off their protest and burial of the bodies with the prime minister’s visit and acceptance of their demands.

However, after multiple rounds of negotiations with the government’s team, the martyrs’ committee agreed to end the protest and bury the bodies.