Sajjad Hussain Changezi

English | اردو The demands in Quetta should not be taken at face value. The army demand might have been a pressure tactic, while other demands were criticized by dissenting voices from within the community. This January, Hazaras sat down to stand up. In a show of enormous strength and courage, Hazaras staged a sit-in under Quetta’s sub-zero temperature for 96 hours. The community refused to bury their loved ones until authorities promised them security and protection following the deadly twin bombing carried out by Lashkar-e-Jhangvi in Alamdar Road–one of only two neighborhoods in Quetta where Hazaras continue to live. Their peaceful and non-violent methods gained them sympathies and friends across Pakistan, and across the world, ultimately forcing the Pakistani government to address their demands. Led by the Quetta Yakjehti Council (QYC, an alliance of smaller groups), its partners, the Shia political forum Majlis-e-Wahdat-ul-Muslimeen (MWM), and Tanzeem-e-Nasl-e-Nau Hazara Mughal (also known as Tanzeem), the protestors demanded the dismissal of the chief minister and the provincial cabinet, a targeted military operation against Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), and a handover of Quetta city to the Pakistan Army. On January 14, most of their demands were met. Chief Minister Nawab Muhammad Aslam Raisani and his cabinet was […]