At least 80 people including children and women were killed martyred and more than 180 others injured in a high-intensity remote-controlled blast targeted Hazara Community at Quetta’s Kerani road on Saturday.
Many of the injured are said to be in critical condition and causality toll is feared to climb. Several vehicles, shops and houses were also damaged in the blast.
Tension prevailed in the adjacent areas following the blast as infuriated people took to the streets and pelted stones on vehicles, burnt tires and blocked roads.
DIG Wazir Khan told that the bomb went off in a crowded vegetable market in Hazara Community on Saturday evening when people were shopping for groceries.
Police and Frontier Corps (FC) immediately rushed to the spot and cordoned off the affected area. The rescuers rushed the injured to the Civil Hospital and Bolan Medical Complex, where emergency has been declared.
According to bomb disposal squad, about 800 to 1000 detonating material was used in the blast. A spokesman for the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has claimed responsibility for the blast.
Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Asharf, PML-N chief Nawaz Shairf and MQM chief Altaf Hussain and other socio-political figures have strongly condemned the blast.
Majlis Wahatul Muslemeen (MWM) has announced to observed strike tomorrow as a protest against the Quetta’s blast. Jafira Alliance has announced three-day mourning.
Quetta is experiencing worst kind of terrorism in recent years. On most of the occasions it is done in disguise of sectarian violence. Prime target of the terrorism is Hazara tribe which practices Shia Islam. Hazaras are facing a systematic genocide over past few years.
One of the deadliest attacks on the community came on January 10, 2013 when a suicide bomber detonated himself in a snooker club in Hazara area. Suicide blast was followed by an ambulance blast which resulted in killing more than100 people.
Enraged Hazaras took to the streets peacefully and refused to bury their martyrs. Their men, women and children remained on streets in freezing temperature unless noticed by Federal Government. Provincial Government which was least interested in the matters was sacked and Governor’s rule was imposed in the province.
