PM to visit Quetta tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit Quetta tomorrow (Wednesday) to express condolences to families of 20 killed, including eight Hazaras, who lost their lives in Friday’s suicide blast at a vegetable market in the city.

He will preside over an important meeting to review law and order situation in the province. The decision to visit Quetta was made after the Hazara community sit-in protest entered forth day on Monday who are demanding arrest of the culprits involved in the attack. The protesters also urged the prime minister to visit Quetta as they considered it the ‘persistent failure’ of law enforcers to provide them security, particularly in Balochistan.

Khan is visiting Quetta after six days of the gory incident. The prime minister will also examine certain development projects undertaken by the provincial government. He is scheduled to inaugurate a housing scheme under which 125,000 houses will be built for families living in Balochistan. More than one thousand houses will be built in Wahdat Colony and Kachlak. Number of houses will be constructed in Gwadar, Turbat and other districts afterwards.

On Sunday the protest at Western Bypass demanded an immediate action against the perpetrators of attack, implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) and an earnest effort by the state authorities to fulfill their responsibility of providing security to the people. The prime minister on Friday stated, “Deeply saddened and have strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Hazarganji market area of Quetta targeting our innocent people.” He assured that "I have asked for an immediate inquiry and increased security for the people. Prayers go to the families of the victims and for early recovery of the injured."