QUETTA: The security plan devised by the Government of Balochistan to target terrorists fanning sectarian violence in Quetta appears to have failed as yet another man belonging to the Hazara community was gunned down in broad daylight on Quarry Road, while six others escaped unhurt in a separate attack on Spinny Road.
Salman Ali, an elderly man, was sitting at a tyre shop when two assailants on a motorbike appeared and shot him in the head and chest. The attackers fled from the scene after the incident. The police reached the site and took the body to Provincial Sandeman Hospital.
Police termed the killing a case of sectarian targeted killing saying the victim was Hazara and a resident of Marriabad, a neighbourhood of the Shia community.
The incident triggered panic and most of the shops and markets on Quarry Road, Prince Road, Mezan Chowk and Liaquat Bazaar were closed.
The police and traffic police deputed in these areas were seen advising the people to go home by saying the situation had gone worse again.
The killing was reported in the heart of the city where a heavy contingent of police, Frontier Corps (FC) and other law enforcement agencies were deployed a few days ago following the targeted killings of six people on Monday.
A few hours earlier, members of the Hazara community in a yellow cab escaped unhurt when a group of armed men opened fire at them on Spinny Road.
“The people were on their way to Marriabad from the Hazara town when they were attacked by armed men. However, the people escaped unhurt in the attack,” Shia Conference stated in its statement to condemn the killings.
“It is ironic that the chief minister chaired a high-level meeting with the participation of high officials of law enforcement agencies and very next day, killing of innocent people resumed,” the Shia leaders said.
A number of Hazara people blocked the highway on Western Bypass to condemn the previous targeted killings. They raised slogans against the government and law enforcement agencies for their failure to break up the chain of target killers.
“The inaction on the part of law enforcement agencies is raising questions on their sincerity to protect the Hazara community,” Muhammad Ali, a young protestor said, adding that the Hazara community is peaceful in Quetta but they are being pushed against the wall.
Angry protestors also burnt tyres at Mezan Chowk and on Alamdar Road to register their protest.
Chief Minister Balochistan Nawab Aslam Raisani returned to Islamabad after chairing a high-level meeting pertaining to the law and order situation in Quetta.
Banned outfit Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LJ) claimed responsibility for the targeted killings of Hazara community.
The spokesperson of LJ who introduced himself as Ali Shair Haideri told local media in Quetta that his organisation carried out targeted attacks on Quarry Road and Spinny Road. Talking from specified location, he said his organisation will continue its attacks in the future.
COMMENTS (27)
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@Basit These kinds of killings ARE happening all over Pakistan. Read the news from DI Khan, Karachi and GB. Dont draw conclusions wihtout making sure you have complete information.
@MUSLIM PAKISTANI Such BS. If Hazaras are being killed by nationalists then why is it always LeJ not BLA which claims responsbility for these murders.
@Gujranwala Thats what you think. Our opponents are weak in standup fights and are only good at attacking unarmed people. In Rwanda it was the minority Tutsis that eventually won the civil war desite the genocide the Hutus carried out. A smaller number of people driven by a righteous cause is more stronger than an army of arrogant bigots. A bully is a coward by nature.
Sadly, this is all related to Afghanistan situation. Hazara members of Afghan security forces routinely kill Pushtun majority Taliban. The reaction across the border is inevitable.
All those who are saying that this is only shia related are simply propagandists. If this is only shia related, why are killings of this nature not happening in every city of Pakistan?
Its a well known fact Hazaras are against Baloch Independence and are thus being targetted by BLA thugs. Call it what it is, it's not a sectarian fight anymore, otherwise Hazaras would be dying all over Pakistan, not just Quetta.
@smj:
If such civil war does start in future, it would be shias who would be grilled right away.
@gujranwala789@yahoo.com:
LeJ is originally from South Punjab, and recently congregated to Quetta and probably did pick up a good number of Pashtun background militants. Racism is probably very much there. But religious bigotry is the main factor considering L-e-J's history and sectarianism.
These groups have different ethnicities, but they also share the same basic ideological extremist principles as well. Al Qaeda, mostly made up of Arabs and some non-Arabs, and the Taliban, Pashtuns, have a history of notorious anti-Shia attacks regardless of ethnicity. Jundullah is made up of mostly Baloch Sunni militants who also carried out anti-Shia attacks in Pakistan. So it's not just a Hazara vs Pashtun dynamic.
Consider the intense attacks in Parachinar or Khurram Agency, who themselves are Pashtun, so cannot simply cast as 'tribal' only. For example the minority Shia members from the Bangash tribe had to seek refuge with the Shia Turi tribe, as they were attacked by their own Sunni Bangash tribe members once they hooked up with Taliban outsiders.
An ugly Civil war is going to errupt between Sunny-Shia if our useless security agencies dont wake up.
Is there NOBODY left in Pakistan who cares for the Honour of the Country. Does anybody care for the safety of Pakistani citizens. May be the army should take over controls, Zardari government has failed completely. This kind of killing HURT. I feel so sad.
@Shia:
Hazaras identify themselves as "Hazara" first than a shia, there is centuries old tribal warfare between hazaras and pashtuns on racial basis in afghanistan, it seems like the pashtun members of LeJ are carrying out these attacks as they have intense racial hatred for hazaras.
If pakistani government cannot give us protection then they should provide us with arms to protect ourselves if that is not possible then they should give us a place where we can live peacefully.
“The spokesperson of LJ who introduced himself as Ali Shair Haideri told local media in Quetta that his organisation carried out targeted attacks on Quarry Road and Spinny Road”
Total Bad. These killers are not humane at all. How they can claim themselves a muslim?? I am not shia but had read a lot of shia literature. There are differences but not enough to shoot dead any one...All kalm-go are muslims...
@Non Ghunna: It's possible, yes. Why is it difficult to comprehend that different types of sectarian militants exist, some reactionary and some extreme? It may not be definitive that those 3 Sunni ulemas were assassinated by Shia militants, but it has been an operating procedure by Shia militias in the past to take down to retaliate or defend themselves from extremist Sunni leaders who incite hate and violence of anti-Shia sectarian minority cleansing.
It is also very possible that the same Wahhabi/Salafi/Deoband/Sunni extremists that comprise of L-e-J, Taliban, Al Qaeda minded groups may have retaliated against moderate Sunni ulemas, which they have many times before killed for speaking out against them, besides their other worse atrocities of wholesale massacres, including women and children.
Even a moderate Deoband who used to encourage inter-sectarian harmony was murdered by independent disgruntled brainwashed Barelvis in the 90's. Sometimes it can even get confusing where a murder maybe mistaken for sectarianism, or vice versa for ethnic or political killing. Good examples are Sunni Tehreek and Hazaras, where the attacks on the former can get confusing whether it was sect or political, and the attacks on the latter being on sect or ethnicity (the evidence in the last one year has definitely been SECT, for Hazaras).
Are people really this naive of the history of sectarian violence in Pak?
This is hateful Evil in the guise of Islam killing innocent and good Muslims.
When the LeJ and it allies claim that they have killed Shia Muslims in past and will continue in the future and after almost every incident they claim it again. Whats the point in wondering if its sectarian or not.
@Mj The Jundullah terrorist group is allied with Pakistani anti-Shia bigots and is funded by America and Israel to attact Iran. In it's spare time it kills Shias in Pakistan. The Saudis have been pawns of the Americans ever since they began and its their money that funds all these ASWJ, LeJ, JuD and the Taliban both "good" and "bad". The Americans have got their dirty fingers in many pies. American foreign policy is a vicious business. On the surface they are the champions of civilization, under that mask they are biggest killers in the world. There can be no hegemony without blood.
What has America got to do with Shia killings? (look at the image)
@Non Ghunna The Sunni Ulema killed in Quetta lately are mainly Barelhvis. Now tell me, who hates both Shias and Barelhvis? Do the math. Shia have no quarrel with Barelhvis.
Its clearly US doing it all to stir up a civil war. Ultimately targeting a separation for Balochistan. All the baloch terrorists are funded from afghanistan (terrorists = separatists)
as long as the proxy war continues in Pakistan, people has to watch these sort of news more. Irony is the 5th largest army of this world cant tackle the terrorist in his own country.......
Time to call Pakistan Army, politicians should form consensus in handing over Baluchistan to Army, because the government and politicians are unable to stop this killings, Army should be called in before its too late
Thank God the other six were unhurt otherwise we all know what will be the news then :(....by the way WHAT IS HAPPENING IN QUETTA? I have heard that there is a mob of people roaming in the city and their sole aim is to kill as many shia as possible:(
@SHIA: Well if every shia killed is coming from some sunnis than the vice versa is also true I guess. Recently three of the Ulemas of Sunnis had been shot dead, does that mean shias killed em?
@Pakistani: What else do you think it could be?? Number of SHIAs people have been targeted during the past few months. What other evidences do you need to prove it sectarian??
how do u know its sectarian ?
Hazaras are cornered to an extent, that tribal war could be triggered anytime in Quetta, irony is they dont know which tribe is carrying out killings, because no single tribe can be pointed out for violence.
It seems there is no police or LEA in Pakistan. Who will change this situation? I am losing hope.