According to Article 9 of the Constitution of Pakistan, “no person shall be deprived of life and liberty”. Furthermore, Article 25(1) of the Constitution clearly delineates that “all citizens are equal before law and entitled to equal protection of law”. Killings on the basis of sect and ethnicity with open impunity is a serious violation of the Constitution. The gravity of this issue is immense and something needs to be done immediately to curtail the crisis. The harsh reality in our country is that there have been persistent waves of target killings that systematically target minority groups, particularly in Quetta.
Hazara Shias have been suffering from sectarian violence since 2000. They are highly vulnerable to terrorist attacks because they can easily be recognised through their facial features and hence become soft targets. There is not a single family in the town of Hazara that may not have lost at least one loved-one in the genocide perpetrated against them. A horrific report released by the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) in 2018 disclosed that 509 members of Hazara community have been killed and 627 injured in various incidents in Quetta during the last five years. According to an independent study, more than 2,000 Hazaras have been killed so far in bomb blasts, suicide attacks and target killings. Due to death threats, Hazaras are now seeking asylum and looking to migrate to other countries. So far, more than 70,000 people from the community have migrated while the rest of the community members are unable to rescue themselves because of financial constraints.
Hazaras feel pessimistic about their future in Pakistan because of unabated violence. Violence against them should be included in the national policy debate. Being a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it is the moral and constitutional responsibility of the Government of Pakistan to give them protection and uphold their dignity.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 11th, 2021.
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