HYDERABAD, July 1: A partial strike was observed in Hyderabad and protest demonstrations were held in other major towns of Sindh on Monday over the Hazara Town incident in Quetta that targeted the Shia Hazara community in which nearly 30 people were killed and over 70 injured.

Activists of the Majlis-i-Wahdat Muslimeen (MWM), the Shia Ulema Council and the Jaffria Students Organisation took out protest rallies in Nawabshah, Khairpur, Jacobabad and Mirpurkhas. Party leaders and protesters condemned the incident and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits.

In Hyderabad, a partial strike was observed in some localities against the Quetta suicide bomb attack on the Hazara community on Monday. No untoward incident was reported throughout the day although some youths resorted to firing into the air and burnt old tyres in some localities late Sunday night.

Main bazaars and shopping malls were temporarily shut during the day as some men resorted to firing into the air early morning and burnt old tyres on roundabouts. In the afternoon, however, shops began to open along with the main bazaars, petrol pumps and CNG filling stations.

Activists of Shia Ulema Council held a protest demonstration outside the press club against the Quetta tragedy. It was led by Shia Ulema Council leaders Maulana Azam Qambrani, Mustafa Ali Haidri and others.

They demanded the arrest and punishment of the perpetrators, treatment of the injured and announcement of compensation for the heirs of the deceased and injured persons.

The Hazara community also protested against the incident outside the press club, while rallies were taken out by the community members in a few localities.

According to a press release issued by the MWM-Hyderabad general secretary Imdad Ali Naseemi the government was urged to take serious action against terror attacks and terrorists.

NAWABSHAH: The Shia Ulema Council, the MWM and the Jaffria Students Organisation held separate protest demonstrations in Nawabshah on Monday.

Members of the Shia Ulema Council and Jaffria Students Organisation took out a rally that started from Mohni Bazaar and ended outside the local press club. Addressing the protesters, the leaders of these groups said there was no animosity between Shias and Sunnis. They added that the Shias were being killed through a planned conspiracy and accused US and Israeli agents of being behind this attack.

They strongly condemned the Hazara town incident and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits. Meanwhile MWM activists also held a protest demonstration at Paratha Chowk in Nawabshah.

KHAIRPUR: Activists of the Shia Ulema Council led a protest rally from Punj Gulla Chowk in Khairpur on Monday passing through various roads and gathered outside the local press club to protest against the Quetta incident. They raised slogans against the terrorist activities in the country; particularly against the targeting of persons belonging to the Shia sect in Quetta. The protestors said these incidents against the Shias were being done in Quetta under a conspiracy; however, the government had failed to take any action in this matter.

JACOBABAD: To condemn the Quetta carnage, a rally was taken out by the Payam Wilayat Foundation Pakistan (PWFP) from central Imambargah Jacobabad on Monday.

Addressing the rally, leaders of PWFP said that the Shias were under attack because of a conspiracy and the government’s failure in arresting the culprits had made the Shia community despondent.

MIRPURKHAS: Scores of workers of MWM in district Mirpurkhas took out a protest rally here on Monday beginning from the shrine of Makhan Shah. Protesters led by Maulana Abbas Qummi marched through main roads and reached the local press club where they strongly denounced the terrorist attack in Quetta and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits, called for their exemplary punishment.