“My cousin who died in the terrorism incident in Mach, was only 18 years old. He had been married a few months prior. When his newly-wedded bride heard that he is no longer in this world, she tried to take her own life,” bereaved Zara Baigi broke into a cataract of tears while narrating her experience.
Zara’s 30-year-old brother Chaman Ali and two of her cousins — 18-year-old Naseem Ali and 45-year-old Aziz — are among the ten coal miners who were allegedly killed by the hardline extremist group ‘Doulat-i-Islamia’ in the dead of the Saturday night.
On Saturday night in Mach, Balochistan, ten colliers were killed in cold-blood in an armed attack — all of them from the Hazara community of Balochistan.
Three days after the carnage, the family members of the killed labourers are still protesting along the dead bodies of their loved ones on the western bypass road of the provincial capital Quetta. They are determined that untill their demands are not met, they will neither end their protest nor bury their dead.
Narrating her story, Zara Baigi says that a few months ago, her family witnessed few of the most joyous moments of their lives. Her cousin Naseem Ali had recently turned eighteen, and the family had decided that it is the time for him to tie the knot. “Early marriage is a tradition in our family”, she said.
After the marriage, the breadwinner of the house soon leaves his abode in the search of employment so that he can provide for his family. Per the tradition, Naseem Ali lived with his newly-wedded wife and family for a few days, and then set out in the quest of an employment. This quest led him to a coal mine.
He might’ve thought, Zara continues, now that he’s married, he has some responsibilities on his shoulders. But now, his dead body is right in front of me; his newly-wedded wife is incessantly moaning his unanticipated murder. “Her wailings reverberate between the earth and the sky”, she added.
I’d like to ask the Prime Minister of Pakistan: why doesn’t he fly to Quetta? Why doesn’t he listen to the mournings of Naseem’s wife in person?, Zara said.
Sheikh Rasheed paid a visit to the protest of the Hazara community on Monday morning, but despite the meeting and the negotiations, the bereaved families refused to end their protest.
Addressing Prime Minister Imran Khan, Zara says that these are not just ten dead bodies, they are the devastation of ten families. Each family has a different story to tell. I cannot confront the five children of my brother Chaman Ali.
Zara further said that her brother deeply loved and cared for his 16-year-old sophomore daughter. Chaman Ali had declared at her birth that she will grow to become a doctor. When she grew up, she topped her class with astonishing grades. At this point she decided to bring her father’s dream to fruition. Now, this teenage daughter stands right beside her father’s dead body. She is constantly asking her father: “Why are you so upset with me? Even when I had decided to become a doctor, despite all the odds.”
Zara says that she requests the Prime Minister to come and witness how a bereaved daughter is wailing beside her father’s dead body. He must hear how the young girl addresses her father as if he would listen. “Baba, you instructed me to teach my young siblings, and I wholeheartedly followed your instructions”, the daughter says. “If we have made a mistake, then please forgive us.”
Zara Baigi says that her deceased cousin Aziz is survived by seven children. The eldest daughter has been married off. A few days ago, when he came home on vacations, he also paid a visit to my house. He told me that: “The time has come for us to educate our children. For how long will we sustain ourselves on hand labour?” I couldn’t help but agree with him.