
Full protection of all citizens of Pakistan, including the Shia community, must be provided by the state.
RAWALPINDI: At least, 23 Shia pilgrims were killed and many injured in a suicide bombing and firing incidents in the Taftan area of Balochistan on the Pakistan-Iran border last week. Pakistan has faced varying degrees of religious, ethnic, linguistic and political problems that are often in conflict with our national interest.
To guard against all external as well as internal challenges to the solidarity and security of Pakistan, a well-knit and integrated nation is a must. Full protection of all citizens of Pakistan, including the Shia community, must be provided by the state, and the perpetrators of sectarian violence must be punished severely. Scholars of different sects must act in unison to foster sectarian harmony and to educate people on the significance of inter-sect harmony to prevent polarisation in Pakistani society.
Anza Kanwal
Published in The Express Tribune, June 18th, 2014.
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