Protests were also organised in cities and towns across Punjab and Sindh provinces. Hundreds of Shias joined a sit-in protest in Quetta, saying they would not bury dozens of victims of Saturday's bombing till the government hands over the security of the city to the army. They also demanded action against groups like the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, which claimed responsibility for Saturday�s attack. After the attack on January 10, Prime Minister Ashraf gave in to demands from Shia groups and sacked the Balochistan government. He imposed Governor's Rule in the province but observers say the measure has not led to an improvement in the security situation. Governor Zulfiqar Magsi, who heads the administration in Balochistan, has accused intelligence and law enforcement agencies of being unable to keep the peace. He told the media that intelligence operatives were "either too scared to go after the terrorists or too clueless to even know who they are dealing with." Magsi said he had given security forces a "free hand" to take action against militant groups but this had not had produced results. "It's their job to pre-empt such attacks. That's what they are paid for. There is chaos everywhere and the state does not seem to be effective" he said. Shias, who make up 20 per cent of Pakistan's population of 180 million, have been repeatedly targeted by the LeJ in Balochistan. According to Human Rights Watch, over 400 Shias were killed in targeted attacks across Pakistan last year. More than 125 have been killed in Balochistan province this year, most of them Shia Hazaras.
