QUETTA KILLINGS: BETTER SECURITY URGENTLY NEEDED

Chief Minister Balochistan Nawab Aslam Raisani chaired a meeting to review the law and order particularly the situation developed aftermath of the targeted killings of Hazara community in Quetta and the meeting decided to launch targeted and result-oriented operation against the terrorists involved in these heinous crimes. Mr. Raisani had a meeting with the Shia and other religious scholars and they expressed their confidence in the Provincial Government for its initiatives to retain peace in the provincial capital. The meeting and its decisions are positive moves or bode-well but again there is need to implement these decisions with letter and spirit. Government has to show the sincerity and seriousness for maintaining public order instead of harassing the poor people on the pretext of strict security measure rounding up passersby and raiding squatter settlements. There is need to understand the nature and sensitivity of the issue and then trace the responsible and bring them to justice. There are no two opinions that the recent spate of targeted killings of Hazara community is nothing to do with sectarian issue because a specific community was targeted in recent incidents. People find it difficult to understand whenever there are targeted killings the government soon blame hidden foreign hands for destabilizing the region. Home Secretary once again claimed the foreign hands of targeting Hazara community in Quetta. Home Secretary must come up with a clear statement mentioning the names of the countries responsible for these massacres. It is beyond the understanding that why Pakistan not taking up the issue with countries involved in creating disturbances. It is the basic right of the people to know that who are responsible for the recent killings and who are the forces fueling hatred among people on sectarian and ethnic grounds. The situation is critical and administration can not spared from its responsibility by arresting irrelevant people because law enforcing agencies have so far not been able to arrest a single culprit or any suspect that helped the terrorists. The administrators should avoid harassing the poor people at public places on the pretext of checking and arresting them by declaring them suspects because it such actions are misplaced at this critical juncture. Balochistan government should realize the sensitivity of the situation and review its decisions and take concrete steps to restore peace urgently before it is too late. The apprehension of Governor Balochistan Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi that civil war may break out in Balochistan will come true if the situation gone out of control from civil government.