QUETTA - At least two members of the Hazara community were killed and as many injured as they were targeted in the Nakhailabad area of Quetta near Western Bypass on Friday.
According to Deputy Inspector General Abdur Razzaq Cheema, 12 people were travelling from Quetta to Karachi in a van when motorcyclists opened fire, injuring four passengers.
The injured were shifted to Combined Military Hospital Quetta where two of them, including a child, succumbed to their injuries.
Balochistan has been experiencing incidents of violence and targeted killings for more than a decade. Over 1,400 incidents targeting the Shia and Hazara community have taken place in the province during the past 15 years.
Sectarian terrorism in the province has disproportionately targeted the Hazara community, easily identifiable because of their distinctive physical appearance. Other Shias, especially the pilgrims travelling to and from Iran, are also not being spared.
Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri expressed deep grief over the incident and ordered the authorities concerned to submit their report on it. He also ordered best healthcare services to the wounded. Separately, Hazara Democratic Party strongly denounced the firing incident on the vehicle of the coal miners. In a statement, Hazara Democratic Party also lashed out at the government’s security claims.