Pakistan protests against Shia massacre by IS disrupts air travel

Air travel was partially suspended, roads were blocked and a city was shut in Pakistan on Thursday as Shia Muslims continued protests against the killing of 11 coalminers by Islamic State (IS) militants.

The coalminers, members of the persecuted Hazara community, were found beheaded on Sunday after IS militants kidnapped them in the south-western province of Balochistan.

The families had refused to bury the dead and were protesting in the provincial capital of Quetta for the fifth day, seeking guarantees from Prime Minister Imran Khan to protect them.

The protests spread to other cities on Thursday including the southern metropolis of Karachi, causing flight delays and cancellations, Wasiq Ali from the civil aviation agency said. More flights could get cancelled or be delayed during the day as ground traffic was suspended due to protestors, mainly from the Hazara community and other Shia groups, Ali said.

Trade unions and transporters in Quetta shut businesses and halted public transport to express solidarity with the community.

Members of the Shia Hazara minority are targets of Sunni militant groups including Islamic State both in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Hazaras are confined to a couple of fortified neighbourhoods in Quetta.

Balochistan faces a multifaceted threat from jihadist groups including the Taliban, Sunni sectarian militants targeting Shia Muslims, and nationalist insurgents.  (dpa)