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Local Pakistani Government Sacked After Sectarian Attack

January 14, 2013

Pakistani Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf has agreed to dismiss the government of southwest Balochistan days after one of the bloodiest sectarian attacks there.

The twin bombings on January 10 in Quetta, the regional capital, killed more than 90 ethnic Hazara Shi'a. On January 13, Ashraf told local Hazara community leaders in Quetta that he would meet their demand to fire the local Balochistan government, some of whom the Hazara accuse of fomenting violence against them.

Ashraf also announced paramilitary forces will launch an operation against militants suspected to be behind the January 10 attack at a billiards hall.

The billiards hall attack was carried out by Lashkar-e Jhangvi, a sectarian militant group allied with Al-Qaeda and the Pakistani Taliban.

Reacting to Ashraf's announcement, Hazara leaders said they would end their sit-in protest next to the unburied bodies of the attack, and begin burials later on January 14.

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/local-pakistani-government-sacked/24822950.html

Copyright (c) 2013. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.