Protests in Quetta against killing of coal mine workers

Quetta, Jan 4 Protests were staged in Quetta against the killing of 11 coal miners in Pakistan's Balochistan province, the media reported on Monday.

On Sunday, at least 11 coal miners were kidnapped and killed by unidentified armed men in Machh, an area under serious security threat.

According to the police, the attackers abducted the miners and took them to the nearby hills where they were fired at and seriously injured.

The Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) political organisation had staged a sit-in at Quetta's Western Bypass, demanding the provincial government to either arrest the perpetrators or resign, Geo News reported.

MWM leader Syed Muhammad Agha Raza said Prime Minister Imran Khan should come to Quetta to meet the victims' families and assure them justice.

Members of the Hazara minority community also staged a separate protest, taking to the Western Bypass.

Following the carnage, Balochistan government spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani told Geo News that the incident was an "act of terrorism".

Prime Minister Khan condemned the "cowardly inhumane act of terrorism", saying he had advised the Frontier Corps (FC) personnel "to use all resources to apprehend these killers & bring them to justice".

Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal condemned the incident and sought a detailed inquiry report from the concerned authorities on priority.

( With inputs from IANS )