Ten coal miners from the Hazara community, who were killed brutally in an attack on January 3, were laid to rest at Quetta’s Hazara Town cemetery on Saturday.
Funeral prayers for the coal miners were offered earlier today after the deadlock between the government and the protesters came to an end a few hours ago.
The prayers were led by Allama Raja Nasir Abbas in Quetta’s Hazara Town with close to 5,000 people attending including the relatives and friends of the deceased, locals and residents of the area.
Federal Maritime Minister Ali Zaidi, Special Assistant to the PM Zulfi Bukhari, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, Provincial Home Minister Mir Zia Langove and other provincial ministers and civil society leaders were also present on the occasion.
A prayer service will be held in imambargah Wali Asr after the burials at the Hazara Town Cemetery.
The protestors, who had earlier refused to bury the deceased unless Prime Minister Imran Khan visited them and addressed their concerns, continuing to stay on the road alongside the dead bodies of their loved ones for six days, eventually agreed to bury the deceased after negotiations with a government team succeeded in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to reach Quetta today and meet with the bereaved families. Balochistan CM Jam Kamal and Suri had announced yesterday that the premier will reach Quetta after the miners’ burials.
