A report released by National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) on Monday stated that 509 members of Hazara community were killed and 627 injured in various incidents of terrorism in Quetta during the last five years.
The NCHR report titled "Understanding the Agonies of Ethnic Hazaraz" lists the incidents of attacks on Hazara community from January 2012 to Dec 2017, based on the data shared by the Balochistan home department.
Narrating heartbreaking details about the plight of Hazara community, NCHR official Fazeela Alyani said, "All these precious lives were lost only in Quetta city."
However, the regional head of Hazara Democratic Party (HDP) places the figure much higher than what was being quoted by NCHR.
"More than 200 Hazaras were killed only in two suicide attacks in this period," Bostan Ali Kishmand said.
Targeted killings, suicide attacks, and bomb blasts have inflicted harm to daily life, education, and business activities of ethnic Hazara community members in Quetta, read the NCHR report.
“Fear and intimidation forced them [Hazaras] to migrate to foreign countries,” Fazeela Alyani said.
The report, however, mentions that 19 platoons of Frontier Corps were deployed at Marri Abad and Hazara Town for the protection of Hazara community.
Moreover, law enforcement officials continue to provide security to thousands of Shia pilgrims travelling from Quetta to Taftan in the aftermath of repeated acts of terrorism, read the NCHR report.
"There has been no issue of Balochs or Pashtuns with Hazaras in Balochistan," the commission quoted Senator Kabir Muhammad Shahi of National Party as saying in its report.
Similarly, the commission also quoted Senator Usman Kakar of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), who said, "We [as Pashtuns] have always helped the Hazara community and would do so in future as well."
The commission also sought the opinion of media with regard to targeted killings of Hazaras. The respondents from Hazara community said that international media is more supportive rather than national media, the report said.
The report highlights the plight of students from Hazara community and their troubles in getting education.
"Target killings forced Hazara students to abandon their education," Alyani said. She said law and order situation severely affected the education of youth.
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