لندن ۔۔20فروری 2013ء 

The over 60 hours sit-in protest in front of Pakistan Embassy, London, supported the leaders of Quetta Yekjehti Council, the heirs and families of victims, concluded peacefully at 6:00 AM (GMT) on Monday after the demands of the QYC were met and implemented throughout Balochistan.

The followings videos exhibit the support of the London protesters.

Sit-in Protest (London)

Report By Adil Shahzeb

The deadly double bombing in Quetta last week left more than 86 Hazara Shia Muslims dead and hundreds injured. For over four days, the devastated men, women and children of the community sat in protest with the bodies of their loved ones in sub-zero temperatures, demanding an end to the genocide.

The protests soon spread out to Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and London, where a large number of Sunni and Shia Muslims sat in for 68 hours until the demands of the Quetta protesters were met.

“Our graveyards are full now,” said Liaquat Ali, from the London-based Hazara United Forum, while protesting at the Pakistan High Commission in London. “What is our crime? We are the most non-violent and peaceful citizens of our country, and love it as much as anyone else. How can killing us any geopolitical objectives for anyone?”

“Hazaras are under siege,” said Wajahat Ali. “Dear Pakistan, please save our men, women and children! Does anyone understand the suffering of the families of the 86 innocent people who have been killed?” he said before bursting into tears.

Alongside hundreds of Shia and Sunni Muslims, the London sit-in was attended by British politicians, a delegation of the MQM, and the Pakistan High Commissioner to UK, Wajid Shamsul Hassan, to express solidarity with the target killings of the Shia community in Pakistan.

According to Amnesty International, there were more than 40 attacks on the Shia Muslims in Pakistan during the year 2012 and between four to five hundred Shia Muslims were killed across Pakistan in these attacks.

“There are repeated attacks on Shia Muslims across Pakistan, certainly we believe that the government really needs to make concerted effort on an action plan on how it is going to protect the Shia Muslims,” said Polly Truscot, Director South Asian Pacific, Amnesty International.

The British government also condemned the attacks on the Shia population of Pakistan, in the strongest possible words. “The United Kingdom strongly condemns these senseless attacks and the persecution of the Shia population. It was a tragic day for Pakistan said British Foreign Secretary,” said William Hague.

Many at the London sit-in believed that the authorities had failed completely in tracking down the banned militant outfits who have often claimed responsibility for the attacks on Shias and Hazaras.

“Sectarian outfits that are banned in the rest of the country are still operative in Balochistan without being challenged by the security forces,” said Mustafa Zaidi who spent three nights protesting at the London sit-in along with his 10-day-old baby.

Many believe Pakistan’s policy of exploiting far right militant groups as a foreign policy tool was the reason behind the increasing violence in the country.

“The Shia do not fit in the state’s overall Deobandi-Salafi-Nationalist outlook,” according to famous columnist Dr Muhammad Taqi. “They are being sacrificed at the altar of the global jihad. You cannot tell militant groups to fight in Kashmir and Kabul and not kill the Shia at home.”

According to the Hazara United Forum, nearly 1,000 Hazaras have been killed and over 2,000 injured in 120 recorded terrorist attacks in the last two years.

Sunni militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has claimed responsibility for most of these attacks.

“In Muharram, our Sunni brothers used to set up Sabeels for us, now we mourn ourselves and lift our own dead and bury them ourselves,” said Shabna Khan, an activist. “We no longer prepare jahez or baree, because it is cloth for shrouds that comes by the yards.”

Adil Shahzeb is an international broadcaster and writer. He tweets at @adilshahzeb and can be reached at twoadilzeb@yahoo.com

(Source)

کوئٹہ کا انتظام فوج کے حوالے کیا جائے: مظاہرین

’جب تک کوئٹہ میں احتجاجی مظاہرین کے مطالبات نہیں مانے جاتے، تب تک لندن میں بھی احتجاجی دھرنا جاری رہے گا‘: منتظمین

London Protest

عادل شاہ زیب,  لندن

12.01.2013

کوئٹہ میں گذشتہ جمعرات کو ہونے والے بم دھماکوں میں شیعہ ہزارہ برادری سے تعلق رکھنے والے افراد کی بڑی تعداد میں ہلاکت کے خلاف برطانیہ میں پاکستانی شیعہ اور سنی کمیونٹی  کے سینکڑوں افراد نے ہفتے کے روز پاکستانی ہائی کمیشن لندن کےسامنے احتجاجی مظاہرہ کیا اور کوئٹہ کے ہلاک شدگان کی تدفین تک لندن میں احتجاجی دھرنا جاری رکھنے کا اعلان کیا۔

جمعے کی شب پاکستان کے مختلف شہروں کی طرح، برطانوی دارالحکومت لندن میں بھی ہزارہ شیعہ کمیونٹی کے ساتھ اظہارِ یکجہتی کے لیے پاکستان ہائی کمیشن لندن کے سامنےشدید سردی میں سینکڑوں مظاہرین نے احتجاجی دھرنا دیا۔

’ہزارہ یونائیٹڈ موومنٹ‘  کے چیرمین، لیاقت علی نے اِس موقع پر ’وائس آف امریکہ‘ سے گفتگو کرتے ہوئے مطالبہ کیا کہ امن و امان کی خراب صورتِ حال کے باعث کوئٹہ شہر کا انتظام فوج کے حوالے کیا جائے۔

احتجاج میں تقریباً  500 افراد شریک ہوئے۔

احتجاج میں شریک ادریس احمد نے کہا کہ جب تک کوئٹہ میں احتجاجی مظاہرین کےمطالبات نہیں مانے جاتے تب تک لندن میں بھی اُن کا احتجاجی دھرنا جاری رہے گا۔

لندن میں جاری احتجاجی مظاہرے کے شرکا جِن میں شیعہ حضرات کے علاوہ سنی اور دیگر مسالک سےتعلق رکھنے والے پاکستانیوں کی ایک بڑی تعداد  شامل تھی،

حکومت سے شیعہ اور ہزارہ کمیونٹی کو تحفظ فراہم کرنے کا مطالبہ کیا۔

(مبنع)

The office-bearers and members of HUM at its launch.

Hazara Diaspora have formally launched a political organisation in the UK to address the political needs of the Hazaras as well as providing them with a concrete platform to learn and apply politics practically. The inaugural ceremony took place on 27-02-2012 in one of the pre-booked halls of the City Temple, Holborn Viaduct, London which started at 2:30 P.M and finished at 5:00 P.M.

Zakir Rostami shouldered the responsibilities of the Stage Secretary who commenced the programme with the recitation of the Holy Quran. Later, he welcomed all the members and described the details of the event to be divided into three parts. The first part included 10 minute speeches of Liaquat Ali Hazara, Avaz Ali Wahidi and Carina Crowford. The second session incorporated the interactive questions from the speakers about the formation of the organisation etc while the third phase focused on election of the office-bearers.

Firstly, Liaquat Ali Hazara was invited to describe the fundamental principle of founding the HUM, its aims and objectives and the benefits of becoming member.

LAH welcomed and thanked his friends for sparing time to bear the national/Hazaragi responsibilities through HUM while explaining the principal aim of forming a political organisation. He maintained that we are re-writing the history of Hazaras by forming this Organisation as it is foremost initiative towards centralised political set up for the Hazaras in order that politico-universalism can be evoked within the Hazaras. To keep this in view, HUM shall be registered with the Electoral Commission of England and Wales in near future in that all the necessary requirements for the purpose have already been fulfilled and the registration will complete in the next few months. He revealed that it was the first time that any political organisation would be registered with the Election Commission outside Pakistan and Afghanistan which depicts the name  name Hazara. This registration will enable us to stand in general elections in the UK. Hence, the name Hazara United Movement (HUM) will appear on ballot papers in general election. He further said that the overseas offices of HUM shall be opened in other countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Australia and other European countries in order to complete the practical steps towards centralised political set up. The overseas office of HUM shall also be registered with the respective election commission to take part in elections as well as achieving the target of running political activities through coordinated efforts. Talks are under-way with Hazara nationalists and political workers in other countries which will bear positive results. Explaining the aims and objectives of the Organisation, he mentioned the following points:

(i) To get the Hazara Diaspora recognized as a community.

(ii) To provide them with opportunities for transparent and fair representation at all levels.

(iii)  To provide opportunities and spread awareness among them for participation in international politics.

(iv) To increase awareness among them about Pan-Hazarism through coordinated activities.

He also expressed the will of the Organisation to create leadership and community organisation training programmes for the Hazaras immigrants in the UK so that they can play an active role in politics. In addition, Study Groups and Research and Analyses chapters have been established to evaluate the socio-political situations on scientific basis for viable solution.

The next speaker was Avaz Ali Wahidi who stressed upon the need that the new generation will have to come forward to take reign of the Hazara nation in their hands for prosperous future. We will have to take keen interest in politics so that we don’t lag behind other in politics in south and central Asia. Whatever decision you take today, it will definitely affect the future. As you have formed this Organisation (HUM) today, you must nourish it like a tiny plant to analysing and solving the political, social, educational and cultural predicaments of the people. The Hazara Diaspora in the UK face many challenges and our recognition as a community is one of the arduous tasks to accomplish. There are Hazara asylum-seekers in the UK whose applications have either been refused or in pending for years who, due to lack of proper guidance remain passive to seek solution to their problems and, perhaps, the volume of these unresolved cases are in thousands. Keeping in view the vulnerable security situation of Pakistan and Afghanistan, they cannot return home nor can they afford to live here illegally. I have mentioned only two of umpteen problems so far but I have had detailed discussion with Liaquat Ali Hazara over these issues and I am sure this Organisation has the potential to redress them. You will need to make this Organisation strong enough to solve these problems.

Later, Carina Crowford gave a speech on POWER. Carina has been working with Citizens UK as Community Organizer which has over 230 member institutions which include schools, colleges, universities and other charity organisations. She offered her volunteered services for the welfare of Hazaras in the UK and devised different pragmatic ways to change the strength of the people into power to becoming a recognized community in the UK. She also maintained that Citizens UK shall coordinate with the Hazara United Movement to provide training opportunities to HUM members. She suggested how HUM can meet its monthly expenditure through its membership subscription to avoid financial hurdles.

The second session included questions and answers which was hosted by Muhammad Raza.

In the third session, the following members were unanimously elected the office-bearers of HUM.

Liaquat Ali Hazara (Chairman)

Muhammad Aziz (General Secretary)

Carina Crowford (Ambassador)

Zakir Rostami (Finance Secretary)

Abdullah Gulzari (Coordinator for Croydon, Avaz Ali Wahidi voluntarily offered his services to share the duties with the coordinator)

Ali Asghar (Croydon for Woolwich)

The ceremony ended with notes of thanks.