IN a despicable incident, at least eleven coal miners were killed in Mach area of Balochistan on Sunday after armed militants kidnapped them and took them to a nearby area before opening fire at a close range. Those killed were identified as being from Shia Hazara community. Condemnation poured in soon after the incident with Prime Minister Imran Khan terming it yet another cowardly inhumane act of terrorism.
The cold blooded murder of poor coal miners must be investigated and those behind it must be exposed and brought to justice at the earliest. We have no doubt in saying that the incident was aimed at fanning sectarian strife in Balochistan and the rest of the country. Following the attack, members of the Hazara community in Quetta blocked the Western Bypass and set fire to tyres to protest against the killings. As part of its hybrid warfare strategy, there is credible evidence now that India is involved in such dirty games to destabilize Pakistan and malign it internationally. The findings of the Mach incident investigation must be shared with the international community to further expose the real face of India. Situation warrants that religious scholars of all schools of thought promote the message of harmony and sectarian harmony as this is the only way to foil the sordid designs of the enemy. Hazara community should also be approached to calm down their sentiments. Since our enemy will not deter from its evil acts, security should be beefed up in the areas inhabited by Hazara community to avert such incidents in future. The CPEC project has further added value to the geo-strategic location of resource-rich Balochistan. Peace and stability there is a must to reap the fruits of the corridor project and make Pakistan a hub of regional trade. There-fore, we will urge the relevant authorities to further beef up the intelligence network in the province to pre-empt the evil plots of the enemy. Plus the process of development should be fast tracked there to address the grievances of Baloch people.
