I know I'm going to get a lot of hate for this but let's leave PC aside for a bit & discuss what's really going on at Quetta.

The Hazaras do have a history of being discriminated against & the deaths of the coal miners was a tragic event. But there are other sides to this story

The demand by the families for the PM to visit is legitimate but there are other players involved too who are trying to use this incident for gain. Just like PTM, you will be told this is solely a racial issue and it is true that the state is guilty of many crimes against them.

However, like the PTM, here too the movement of the Hazaras is hijacked by their militant wing who have been guilty of multiple atrocities themselves.

What is now happening is that the PM has now been presented a list of demands some of which he knows can simply not be accepted. But if he goes there before the dead are buried, he will be exposed to a public lynching by the Hazaras, the media and opposition.

Whether he then caves in to all the demands or walks away refusing to meet the illegitimate ones, the PM & more important, the state will end up the loser.

What IK is proposing is that you bury the dead & then I will listen to & accept your legitimate demands. What the Hazaras want to do is refuse to bury the dead until he comes and then put so much pressure on him that he has no other option but to accede to all their demands.

This is indeed blackmail that is going on although it is not being orchestrated by the families of the deceased nor should have the PM have used the word blackmail. The handling of the situation has in fact been poor but IK is correct that going now will be disastrous.

I hope cooler heads prevail on both sides and the media needs to stop stoking the flames. The biggest problem is that the lessons that need to be learnt from this will not be learnt by either side.

This tragic event has certainly brought to light the plight of the Hazaras. But I don't believe those who need to learn lessons from this on either side will learn any lessons from this. IK & the families of the deceased are just small pawns in this right now.