Hazaras’ Rally in Kabul Protesting on Quetta Target-Killings

by Ali Bahrami

Hundreds of people rallied in Kabul on Friday, condemning the target-killing of Hazaras in Quetta, Pakistan. Denouncing terrorism, the demonstrators called the International Community to pressurize Pakistani Government to take measures for security of Hazara minority in the country.

The protestors chanted slogans such as “Shame on Pakistan for supporting crimes and cruelty”, “Down With Terrorism” and “UN, Wake Up!”, marching along Shaheed Mazari Street in West of Kabul. Condemning the attacks targeting Hazara citizens in Quetta, the demonstrators accused Pakistani Government and its security agencies of ignoring the horrifying target-killings in Quetta and not takings serious measures to secure Hazara community there.

Dr. Kazim Wahidi, a Hazara activist and an organizer of the rally said that the Hazaras in Pakistan were being targeted because of their ethnicity and religion, calling on Pakistani officials to stop the killings and seriously confront the terrorist organizations targeting Hazaras. He also called the International Community to condemn the violation of human rights of the minorities and pressurize the government for curbing the violence and the extremist outfits.

The demonstrators called specifically on UN, EU and the Amnesty International to put pressures on Islamabad to stop Hazara-killings by terrorists. They also asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan to summon Pakistan’s ambassador and warn the country of the consequences of the killings in Quetta.

The ‘Stop-Hazara-Killing’ rally in Kabul is the latest of the series of the protests held in different cities of the world over the incidents targeting Hazaras in Quetta.

Hazara activists and the government of Pakistan attribute the attacks to the extremist Jhangvi Militant Group, which is banned by the government of Pakistan. The group has staged a series of deadly attacks on Hazara minority group in Balochistan province of Pakistan.

According to the reports, dozens of members of Hazara community have been killed in such attacks in recent months. The human rights groups say that about 600 Hazaras have been gunned down in past years, but the government of Pakistan has failed to pursue and bring to justice even a single perpetrator yet.