Lawlessness in Balochistan

Boxer Abrar's murder is further confirmation that terrorism cannot be negotiated with, it must be defeated by force.

The ruthless murder in Quetta of boxer Abrar Hussain, a three-time Olympian, cannot be condemned vociferously enough. Hussain was a man who represented the country with pride, was not a political figure of any kind and had no affiliation that would have suggested his life was in danger. The banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has claimed responsibility for the murder and, if they are to be believed, this is further confirmation that terrorism cannot be negotiated with, it must be defeated by force. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is notorious for fanning sectarian flames and it would appear that Hussain was murdered for no other reason than being a prominent figure from the Hazara community. That Laskhar-e-Jhangvi still has the power to carry out such an audacious attack is an indictment of the current and previous governments. The terrorist group has been involved in attacks for well over a decade now, including an assassination attempt on former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, bombing French engineers in Karachi, involvement in the kidnapping of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl as well as scores of sectarian attacks. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi also has ties to the Taliban and al Qaeda, which makes the impunity with which they are allowed to operate a cause for international outrage. Although technically an outlawed organisation, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has had no problems in recruiting men and proselytising their cause. As the continued operation of Lashkar-e-Taiba under the Jamaatud Dawa banner shows, such bans exist only on paper.

In condemning such attacks, we tend to forget the victims of the violence. Let that not be the case with Abrar Hussain. He was only 50 years old and in his short life had represented Pakistan at the Olympics, even winning a gold medal at the Asian Games in 1990. For his efforts in making Pakistan a force to be reckoned with in boxing he was awarded both the Sitara-i-Imtiaz and the Pride of Performance. In memory of his life and accomplishments, his murderers must be apprehended and the ban on Lashkar-e-Jhangvi enforced.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 18^th, 2011.