The biggest concern is the silence of the most powerful institution of the country on the matter.
KARACHI: This is with reference to the editorial piece published on April 5 titled “Sectarianism and non-state actors”. The piece reveals that the ongoing sectarian war is not a recent phenomenon, but one that has been a threat to Pakistan’s well-being for quite some time now.
The biggest concern is the silence of the most powerful institution of the country on the matter. The steps taken by the Pakistan Army to quell the outburst of sectarian violence in Gilgit-Baltistan recently, only consisted of imposing a curfew in the area and blocking roads. One cannot help but question whether the army considers banned outfits like Sipah-e-Sahaba as their strategic assets and maybe that is why the government is hesitant in taking any action against such groups. Until the army and the government firmly declare that these banned groups and their activities will not be tolerated even if they sprout up under new names, such massacres will continue. One cannot expect the police or the local administration to take any action against them whilst the real decision-makers remain indecisive about the issue.
Farah Batool
Published in The Express Tribune, April 10th, 2012.
