Chairman HDP, Khaliq Hazara, narrowly escapes suicide attack

Quetta, Pakistan [4/23/2013 ] – Coordinated string of four blasts within 90 minutes of each other in Quetta – the restive provincial capital of Balochistan province – killed 6 and left 47 injured, several reported in critical condition.

Sources in Quetta believe the first three blasts were a terrorist tactic to divert the attention of law enforcement agencies, while the fourth and the most powerful blast was a suicide attack whose intended target was Chairman of Hazara Democratic Party (HDP), Abdul Khaliq Hazara.

Al-Qaeda connection:

The spokesman of the Al-Qaeda affiliated Lashkar-e Jhangvi (LEJ), Abu Bakr Siddique called the local news paper offices and claimed the responsibility for the attacks.

Profile: Lashkar-e Jhangvi (LEJ)

Dawood Badini, LEJ #2 in Balochistan, is the nephew of 911-master-mind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, and is a close relative of Ramzi Yousef, the master-mind of first world trade center bombing in 1993, who is currently serving life sentence in the United States.

In 2008, two master minds of LEJ – Usman Saifullah Kurd along with his #2 Dawood Badini – mysteriously broke out (without breaking any lock) of a very high-security jail located in the Army-controlled area which requires a special pass to even get into the area.

– Daily Jang News (Jan 15, 2013) by Hamid Mir, Pakistan’s respected journalist

On Jan 26, 2009, Lashkar-e Jhangvi assassinated the then chairman of Hazara Democratic Party (HDP), Hussain Ali Yousufi, in Quetta, Pakistan.

LEJ has been involved in at least 132 documented attacks in which over 1300 Hazaras have been killed and over 3000 have been injured, many permanently disabled. LEJ was also behind two of the biggest terrorist attacks – Jan 10 attack on Alamdar Road and Feb 16 attack in Hazara Town – in Pakistan’s history killing over 250 and injuring over 300 (80% of all killed/injured were Hazaras).

Various human rights organizations have accused Pakistan’s security establishment, including the ISI, of complicity with the terrorist networks targeting Hazaras and other minorities in Pakistan. The establishment usually detains the LEJ activists till the public fury dies down and then quietly release them back. To date, not a single LEJ terrorist has been brought to justice.

Location of Blasts:

According to Express Tribune, the first bomb went off in Kili Shabo of Jinnah Town with no reported injuries. The second blast was a grenade attack in Gawalmandi chowk neighborhood leaving at least five injured. Minutes later, a road side bomb went off at Gurdat Singh Road (Mali Bagh area) injuring two people. The fourth bomb blast occurred at the FC checkpost at the entrance of Hazara enclave next to the small bridge that joins Pir Mohammad Road and Ghilzai Road – the entrance to Alamdar Road – the main artery in the heart of Hazara enclave.

Courtesy: HOPE

Prime target of attacks was Hazara Democratic Party (HDP) Leadership:

According to information provided by Chairman HDP, Abdul Khaliq Hazara, to Hazara.net, HDP was holding a small “corner meeting” with constituents, comprised of various “minority” ethnicity (Turi, Qandhari, etc.) residing inside the Hazara enclave, regarding the upcoming general election on May 11, 2013, in Pakistan. Within a minute of HDP leadership’s car leaving and barely entering on Alamdar Road, an Al-Qaeda suicide bomber in a white car/mini-truck detonated the car bomb at the FC check post, killing at least one FC personnel (namely Israr) among 5 others, and injuring more than 40.

According to city police chief and bomb disposal squad, the car was packed with 90 to 100 kg of explosives.

It seems that suicide bomber had inside information about the corner meeting and received information about the meeting ending [meetings in Pakistan rarely ever start and stop at the announced time]. According to HDP, the suicide bomber would have rammed the explosive laden car into the HDP car if he was not stopped at the FC check post.

In the past, FC – among other security agencies of Pakistan – has been accused by Hazaras and various human rights organizations for their collusion with the Al-Qaeda terrorist networks. This is the first known incident (in almost 150 confirmed attacks as reported by HOPE) in 15 years of ongoing genocide of Hazaras that a security agency has successfully prevented an actual attack.

Hazaras on social media, such as Facebook, have been paying tributes to fallen FC hero, Israr, as well as those who lost their lives and left injured during the attacks.

Tribute:

Najeebullah Suhab, Principal of Markaz-e Taleemi Wa Farhangi Ummat (School), presenting a condolence letter to FC for the fallen FC hero, Israr, who gave his life in an effort to stop the Saudi-supported Al-Qaeda affiliated LEJ suicide bomber. The letter was given on behalf of residents of Ghilzai road and “Alamdar Road” (signifies the entire Hazara enclave).

In other pictures, kids holding a Candle light vigil to pay tribute to the fallen and the injured in the blast.

(photo courtesy: Najeebullah)