Pakistani PM says will not be ‘blackmailed’ into visiting Hazaras

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz on Friday responded to criticism by the Opposition over the use of the word “blackmail” by Prime Minister Imran Khan as he spoke about the sit-in in Quetta by the Hazara community.

PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz lashed out at Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday, castigating him for not visiting Quetta to meet relatives of the Machh tragedy victims.

“This is the height of insensitivity, you are responsible for 220mn people,” said Maryam Nawaz in her message to the prime minister, speaking to Geo News. “If you refer to the cries of the people as blackmail, then you should be ashamed of yourself,” she added.

The PML-N vice president was referring to the prime minister’s statement from earlier in the day when he said that making the burial [of the dead] conditional on the prime minister’s visit was not appropriate.

“This is akin to blackmailing the prime minister,” he had said.

The Hazaras have refused to bury 11 slain coal miners who were shot dead in cold blood last week at Machh by unidentified assailants. Protest sit-ins have taken place in various parts of the country over the tragedy.

Maryam lamented that the Hazaras were sitting out in the open, in the freezing temperature, with the bodies of their loved ones and the prime minister had yet not visited the area.

“They are asking you to come and place your hand over their heads,” she said, referring to the bereaved families. “They are asking for some guarantees [from PM Imran Khan] and will bury the dead after that,” added the PML-N leader.

Maryam said that visiting the grieving families was the prime minister’s obligation and “he will have to do this”.

“You have time to meet Turkish dramas and meet actors,” she said in reference to the prime minister’s meeting with the founding team of the Turkish hit TV series Ertugrul from the previous day. “You have time to play with your dogs but not place your hand over the heads of the oppressed,” she added.