The Hazara community of Quetta has long been a victim of discrimination, brutality, and violence. The beginning of the year 2021 has been marked by yet another terrorist attack against Hazara coalminers. On January 3, armed men entered a compound of miners in the Mach town, 70 kilometres south-east of Quetta. Eleven of the labourers were identified as Hazara and blindfolded at gunpoint. They were then butchered one by one. In similar incidents earlier, more than two-dozen mine workers belonging to the ethnic minority have been killed for no other reason. In the aftermath of the Mach massacre, families of the victims, mainly under the leadership of the Majlis Wahdat-ul-Muslimeen (MWM), presented a set of demands to the government that included the setting up of a Joint Investigative Team for the incident, a payment of Rs 5 million as compensation to families of the slain coalminers, and the dismissal of concerned government officials. While the Hazara Democratic Party, which is a part of the coalition provincial government, dissociated itself from the protests the MWM staged a six-day sit-in with bodies of the slain miners, determined to end the dharna only once the prime minister (PM) visited the bereaved. After being labeled as blackmailers by the PM and negotiations with the provincial government, the protestors buried the victims of the massacre six days into the dharna. There was widespread disappointment with regard to the PM’s remarks and his attitude towards the Hazara community. However the government announced that it had met all their demands. In a sharp contrast, members of the mainstream political opposition were seen rushing to console the aggrieved in Quetta. While this too could be put down to political considerations, the gesture was appreciated by the families of the deceased. Condolences also poured in from leaders and members of various political and religious parties. While there was a unanimity in the condemnation of the brutal killings, some analysts expressed concern over the political implications of the dharna as well. While the most visible street protests are over, things have not returned to normal in Quetta or Mach. The families of the victims, the Hazara community, and other minorities in the country are left feeling extremely vulnerable and exposed to violence and a constant threat to their constitutional rights, including the right to life.