Frequently asked question in wake of Machh tragedy

LAHORE: One of the most frequently asked questions attributed to Prime Minister Imran Khan in the wake of Machh tragedy is his absence from funerals since he became the PM.

Is it a security issue or a spiritual reason which bars Imran Khan from attending the funerals of even his close friends like Naeem-ul-Haque, his own cabinet member Ali Muhammad Mahr or his one of the favourite team mates and friend Abdul Qadir?

Hazara community linked the burial of their deceased relatives with the arrival of Imran Khan, but the PM refused to reach Quetta and sent them a message that he would visit the affectees immediately after they bury the bodies. And he reached Quetta immediately after the victims were buried. The last two and a half years of history of PM in office shows that he did not turn up in the funerals of even the members who were in his closest circles or part of his cabinet.

In May 2019, Ali Muhammad Mehr, sitting Federal Minister and part of Prime Minister Imran Khan's cabinet, passed away but Imran did not attend his funeral. Later, in the same year, legendary leg spinner and one of his former team mate Abdul Qadir passed away but Imran did not turn up to attend his Janaza.

PM Imran Khan did not attend Namaz-e-Janaza of his close confident and decades old friend Naeem-ul-Haq. He visited the family a day after the burial of Naeem-ul-Haq.

In the latest event, when Imran Khan came under immense criticism from the Opposition, social media users and mainstream media, Imran did not attend the funerals of Hazara victims and promised their relatives that he would visit them after the burial.