Violence leaves 3 Muslims dead in Pakistan’s Quetta

At least three Muslims have been killed in separate instances of violence in Quetta, the provincial capital Pakistan’s Baluchistan Province.

Quetta’s police chief Abdul Razzak Cheema said three members of the Shia Hazara community lost their lives in a shooting attack by unidentified attackers.

The incident took place when hundreds of Shia Muslims had taken to the streets in Quetta to protest against the death of an elderly from the Hazara community, who was earlier gunned down at a tea shop in the city.

However, the gathering turned violent when the participants learned of another attack by unidentified attackers that led to the death of two other Hazara men and injury of two women from the same community, including a pregnant women, at a medical clinic in Quetta.

Meanwhile, another person was killed and five others wounded in a separate shooting incident outside a mosque in Quetta.

Earlier this month, gunmen attacked pilgrims in main port city of Karachi, killing 45 people in the latest of many attacks against the Pakistani Shia community, which frequently falls victim to similar acts of violence.

Paksitani Shia Muslims have demanded the government take decisive action against the forces involved in the targeted killings, saying that Islamabad cannot provide security for the Shia Muslim community.

The frequent incidents have raised concerns among human rights groups, with some Pakistanis describing the issue as a conspiracy against the country.