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Sectarian violence in Quetta claims 11 lives
Lashkar-i-Jhangvi claims responsibility for second mass killing in two days.
A man covers his face while walking past vehicles set ablaze by protesters in reaction to the attack in Quetta. PHOTO: REUTERS
QUETTA:
At least 11 people, including a woman, were killed and three others injured in a sectarian attack targeting the Shia community in Quetta on Saturday morning, when gunmen opened fire on a passenger vehicle.
“The vehicle was passing by a bus stand when gunmen riding in another car opened fire, killing at least 11 people and wounding three others,” Quetta’s police chief Hamid Shakeel said.
Another police official said it appeared to be a sectarian attack as all those killed were Shias from the Hazara community.
Outlawed militant organisation Lashkar-i-Jhangvi has claimed responsibility for the attack. Ali Sher Haideri, who claimed to be the spokesperson for the banned outfit, called different newspaper offices and TV channels and claimed his organisation had carried out the attack and said that attacks on the Shia community would continue.
Balochistan Inspector-General (IG) Police Rao Mohammad Amin Hashim told reporters that around 250 suspects had been taken into custody in connection with the killings since Friday evening.
“Police do not possess magical power to trace these culprits and obviously we will need cooperation from the people to identify these criminals,” he said, adding that their hideouts were being raided.
As many as 18 people have so far fallen victim to sectarian targeted killings during the past 16 hours in the provincial capital.
Seven people had been gunned down at a bus terminal on the Saryab Road a day ago and the same organisation had claimed responsibility for the attack.
A senior police official, quoting an eyewitness said that a passenger pick-up, heading towards Hazara Town from Marriabad, came under attack near Killi Mubarak on Spiny Road, near the DIG (operations) office.
“Armed men were waiting in a car on the road. They opened indiscriminate fire when the vehicle, which was carrying people belonging to the Hazara community, reached the bus stop.
Eleven people, including a woman and a rickshaw driver, died on the spot, while three others were seriously injured,” an eyewitness said.
After the firing, the van’s driver lost control of the vehicle, resulting in the vehicle plunging into a ditch long the road. The assailants managed to escape.
“I saw a man, armed with a Kalashnikov, step out from the car and open fire,” another eyewitness said.
Police later shifted bodies to the Bolan Medical College (BMC) Hospital.
Backlash
After the incident, hundreds of people of the Hazara community reached the hospital and resorted to violence, smashing window panes and ransacking the premises and harassing the hospital staff.
Enraged protesters torched seven vehicles and a roadside hotel on the Brewery Road and in Faisal Town.
“Some of the protesters were armed and they continued their violent protest for several hours without any hinderance,” a journalist said.
However, several hours later police reached the area in large numbers and brought the situation under control.
Attack condemned
Interior Minister Rehman Malik said that ‘enemies of the state’ were trying to destabilise the country and that men who opened fire on the van were ‘hired’ killers.
Speaking to the media at Karachi airport, Malik condemned the Quetta incident and said some ‘elements’ were trying to ‘weaken’ the country.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza and President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the incident and condoled with the relatives of the victims’ families. Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Mohammad Aslam Raisani and Governor Nawab Zulafiqar Ali Magsi directed the police to take necessary steps to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 31th, 2011.
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Reader Comments (41)
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A start to a Civil War has begun.
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And the Shia-Hazara Genocide continues while rest of Pakistan stays silent! 7 yesterday and 11 today.
Permanent deployment of the security forces in the mentioned area. But 11 killed. No one gets caught. What does it show?
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Different sects killing each other to decide who follows the “true” Islam!
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Now why doesnt Imran Khan,the so called free judiciary and their like minded even condemn such coward act of terrorism, they cry havoc when their beloved talibans send to hell in the consequent of drone attacks.If such Taliban linked Terrorists aren’t curbed and control today then they day isn’t faraway when Quetta will be under drone attacks or the border will be violated by the Iranian security troops to hunt down these terrorists
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Mr FARAZ
Only shia muslims being targeted on regular basis.
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I wonder how many more they can kill. We are running out of patience and it’s about time we get up in arms like we did back in July 1986 against Zia’s government.
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those people who flees from afghanistan, crimals from cities in Pakistan, people abondant by the their families and grown up in madarsas are creating mess. The militancies againsts this small tribe will not go far, as this the start point and later they will do what they did in swat and other tribal areas of Pakistan where they killed allmost all tribal leaders and people of their own sect. Recommend
I’m just starting to wonder, what’s the difference between Pakistan and Afghanistan? There’s none. Pakistan has just become a Kabul where anyone can go and randomly kill anyone. It’s as if we’re living in a wild jungle.
Someone in their right minds wouldn’t live in such a lawless country. No wonder thousand of expatriate Pakistanis are moving out to other countries each year..
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@faraz:
Why you so called librels assume its your duty to implicate Islam in every news you comment on ET?
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Mullah, mullah and mullah… Most of Pakistan’s problems can easily be traced back to Mullah. They saction the killing of innocents in the name of Islam; they provide political support to Tabliban; they help prepare suicide bombers in madrassah; they spread sectarian hatred which results in barbaric acts of terrorism; they try to hijack our political system inspite of the fact that they have little support in our country; they help foster rebellions against the state (that is what they did in Swat); they oppose our improving relations with India; they fight Saudi Arabia, USA and Iran’s proxy wars in return for money; they try to suppress enlightenment and liberal ideas in the country and the list goes on…….
If we want to get pakistan out of its whirlpool, we have to deal with Mullah head on. Like Kemal Attaturk did almost a century ago in Turkey.Recommend
Will Imran khan and Minawar Hassan of Jumat-e-Islami take time out of their busy schedule to condemn terrorists for their barbaric crimes? Will they hold a small rally anywhere in Pakistan to condemn the Taliban and sectarian killers? Their answer will be:” these killings and terrorism are perpetrated by CIA, RAW and Mossad. Taliban and sectarian activists are truly faithful and pious muslims. They can’t even think of doing such horrendous things.” WAOOOOOOW.
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faraz is that what you tell yourself to make yourself feel better?
The reality is that only one sect is doing the killing and the other doing the dying
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@Mumtaz Rizvi:
Dear Rizvi Sahib. You are mixing up the issues. This approach of yours would not lead you to anywhere.
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and what happened when you did that? even more people were killed and a permanent bad blood was created with other ethnic groups.Voilence has only silenced issues on temporary basis.It has never solved them.Many elemeeents are trying to repeat the 1986 days. So beware.Recommend
Its all orchestrated by the dreaded LJ and their bearded members. Wonder why the rest of Pakistan is silent over all the killings. Where is Imran Khan? What does he have to say about these killings. Is he blind and oblivious to these and the ones in Parachinar? Where is the so-called judiciary? The righteous judiciary. While they maintain criminal silence over these killings, LJ keeps targeting Muslims. They will instead raise their voices against any operation on Taliban. The same Taliban who killed hundreds on the name of Islam. The government is a complete failure, and so are its law enforcement agencies. The whole country is a failure. The Muslims in India feel more protected than the ones living in this land. We will continue like this and perish.Recommend
@Mumtaz Rizvi
what it has got to do with imran khan. What imran khan is talking about is totally different from what you are comparing with go have some sense before commenting.
this can be many elements not just talibans balouch liberation army etc can play a role in this but the question is this what is the police and what is the government doing in karachi and in quetta they are totally incapable of controlling things in two most important cities of pakistan.
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@Hairaan
Are you new to Pakistan? In which country you see mullahs declaring each other heretics openly on the loudspeaker? Whatelse you expect after decades of systemic hatred spread by the mullahs? These mullahs use verses from Quran to justify murder; you want me to respect these murderous mullahs? Or you want me to join one of these sects and start cursing the rest?
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There are different interpretations of religion. Even scientists don’t agree over a sole explanation of a physical phenomenon. Religion cannot be explained through pure logic, therefore there cannot be consensus over true Islam. So what we need is tolerance. Accept each other and let people do what they believe in.
You hate me because of the ideas you gained from your environment, my ideas are derived from the environment I live in. We both cant be held liable for our beliefs. So it all depends on the external sources of ideas. If my dad had been a religious scholar instead of a University professor, i would have held different beliefs.
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Welcome to Pakistan where people kill others all the time. A bunch of lunatics we are!
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@Hairaan:
Iam just telling you the facts,not mixing up anything as these things interrelates with each other because such terrorists are mostly the victims of U.S Lead Drone Attacks.Did you Remember what Talibans Did with Hazara Shia Community Once they conquered Mazara-e Sharif, the massacre the carried out was unprecedented. Inshallah These Talibans WIll Smell the Hell.
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Since 2003, Hazaras-shias of Quetta have been targeted every month and more than 1200 Shias have been killed in Quetta. Everytime when shias are killed, the IG,balochistan, CM and Governor comdemns and promises that within 24 hours we will apprehend the culprits but nobody is ever punished. The Police only arrest innocent people for the sake of paper work. What is the reason of this silence and inaction?????? Only one reason that the Lashkar Jhanghavi wants Pakistan but without Shia and Sunnis have no problem whatsoever with them……..
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This is all happening because of the people. Before when there was an attack, they would blame A B C and etc. and not themselves.
Now that we know who and why its is happening, we just act a paper pushers. Even if it is time to wake up we perfer to slumber. So there is NOT going to be any solution and more and more killings will take place. Live with it. Now its time to sleep.
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@faraz
“So what we need is tolerance. Accept each other and let people do what they believe in”
Wise words coming from you when you have been preaching hatred and killings of Americans, Isrealis and Hindus for so long. What made you wake up?.
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Our nation needs to go and lie down on a psychiatrist’s couch and go through a deep sesseion of therapy.
We kill each other and it is never our fault! Sympton number 1
What ever bad happens to our country is an international conspiracy! Symptom number 2
Our sect is the best. The rest are losers. Symptom number 3
Suffering from a strong dose of religiousity but no spirtuality. Symptom number 3
Please feel free to add to the list above!
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From Rmalik
the politicians, the religious leaders and the people are to blame for the mess Pakistan is in. If things do not change, life in Pakistan will be intolerable for generations to come. India is not the enemy, USA is not the enemy, the fact is that the enemy is within. Unless Pakistan spends money on development and education, nothing will change. A cradle of civilization has fallen into wrong hands. Unless a country works well with its neighbors, it is bound to pay a heavy price. India can buy goods from Pakistan and Pakistan can buy from India at a much cheaper price than goods from other countries. Invite India business men to Pakistan to invest and see the results. Do not live in the past. Bury the past and move on so that the future generation of Pakistan admires their ancestors. Recommend
Where is the condemnation from the Majority of Pakistani`s who appear to condone the attacks? Who is there to support the minorities who are being massacred? Am not a Sunni & neither a shia, but surely am a worried pakistani.
When people can express outrage at the drone attacks, why can`t they express the same outrage at the massacre of the rest of the citizens. Half the people commenting are either deaf or blind to the hatred speeches in the loud speakers in Karachi. This is outrageous, and i can see the death of the country.
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@Mubashir:
Well said Mubashir i agree with you bro
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@IAC:
Well said Brother you are absolutely right, i wonder what will Imran Khan and his like minded call if any heir of these victims commit suicide attack at any religious factory known to produce suicide bombers! I’ve got a doubt that they will call it a reaction
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Malik Ishaq has entered the building. Thank you free judiciary.
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@abdul: We could carry on with our tradition of Ashura procession. This is what happened. If it weren’t for July 6, 1986, Hazaras wouldn’t be allowed to continue Ashura procession. Who has Hazaras done wrong? Nobody. We want to live in peace and harmony with Pashtuns, Baloch, Punjabi etc etc. We care about our future. We strive for better future for our next generation. When you have these traits believe me you would be peace loving and law abiding citizens. You wouldn’t want trouble in any form whatsoever unless someone invades your space and threatens your very existence. Our space is being invaded and our existence threatened. We are still patient hoping that the government would provide us the much needed security which in any country is the first and foremost obligation of the rulers. But hey, we ain’t going to sit on our buts for long. Everything has a limit. We are being pushed to the limits.
Let’s pray for the return of peace to our motherland before it’s too late.
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To understand background of the issue, please read one of my piece on killings of Hazara Shias in Quetta http://wp.me/pXYKS-7e
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That’s what happens when you mix up religion with politics. Religious political parties which suppport terrorists of any sect overtly or covertly must be banned forever and their leaders and officials must be tried for crimes against humanity. There is enough proof for such trials to be instituted against such religious demons.
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….and we also want Kashmir to get a feel for what it is like to be in Pakistan…..
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I read a comment somewhere that this “rot” in Pakistan is what has spread to Kashmir, where you see this religion based separatism. If you look at the history of Kashmir, separatism started only in the last 2-3 decades.
Most Pakistanis will blast at me. I understand. But, only today, has Pakistan realized the mistakes of the last 30-50-60 years. Today Hassan Nisar, Hoodbhoy, Najam Sethi…comment on the mistakes committed by Pakistan 30-60 years ago.
So, perhaps, in the next 50-60 years, Pakistanis will realize the mistakes they committed in 2000s and 2010s.
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Dear Zia Ur Rehman
you are right that Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah Sahaba Pakistan, Jaish Muhmmad and TTP are killing Hazaras
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@Incredible:
A civil war is waging in India between the Maoists and the Indian government.
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It is long past the due date for Pakistan to stop concerning itself about the real or imagined persecution of Mohammaddens elsewhere in the world and rather devote that energy to stopping the persecution of Mohammaddens, albeit those following a minority interpretation of Mohammaddenism, residing within its own borders.
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“Outlawed militant organisation Lashkar-i-Jhangvi has claimed responsibility for the attack. Ali Sher Haideri, who claimed to be the spokesperson for the banned outfit, called different newspaper offices and TV channels and claimed his organisation had carried out the attack and said that attacks on the Shia community would continue.” Wow although i hate you Ali Sher Haideri but at the same time i appreciate your honesty that unlike your supporters such as Imran Khan and Jamat-e Islami you didnt but the debris of this destruction upon the foreign elements.but beaware the victim community has been pushed to the wall and they might react quite aggressively and the fire of sectarian killing will engulf the entire country, so its high time to debug the banned outfits such as Lashkar-e Jhangvi.
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May ALLAH’s curse be upon all the culprits…
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@anon
“A civil war is waging in India between the Maoists and the Indian government. “
At least the Maoists want something real. A fair distribution of wealth, an end to the exploitation of their land by industrialists. They are the voice of those left behind by the Indian economic progress. But they want a reform of India ,they dont want to commit genocide of any community just because they have religious differences with them.
They dont gun down women and children in the street. The Taliban and LeJ are animals compared to the Indian Maoists
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These killers are being prompted by extremist Local Molvis having large bellies and thick necks, trying to promote Talibanization.
Chief Justice of Pakistan has been trying to prove himself a Hero by taking “Az-Khud” notices of minor issues, but he always stays quiet on such sensitive issues of great loss.Recommend