Australia offers asylum to Pakistan’s 2,500 Shia families

Islamabad: The Australian government has offered asylum on humanitarian grounds to 2,500 Hazara families of Pakistan who have been affected by terrorism.

Last week, a representative of Australian immigration department met with United Nations officials to make the asylum offer. According to the Express Tribune, over 80 residents of the Shia Hazara neighbourhood in Quetta were killed when over 800 kilogrammes of explosives detonated in the middle of a busy market on February 16. The attack led to countrywide agitation, with families refusing to bury their loved ones till their demands of the Army taking over the city and targeted operation against the perpetrators were met. In January, twin blasts in Quetta killed over a 100 people and left over 300 injured, the report said. After being continuously attacked by militant outfits, the Shia Hazaras went on strike across the country demanding the government to take immediate action, it added. ANI