Sectarian violence: Lahore protests against Quetta killings

More than 60 people protest at Liberty Chowk, lead singer of Baigharat Brigade attends.

LAHORE: “We (Hazaras) are peaceful people, who have been contributing to the progress of the country for past six decades, then why is the government standing helpless when we are being killed ruthlessly,” asked Roohullah while speaking to The Express Tribune as members of the Hazara community staged a protest at Liberty Chowk on Tuesday.

Condemning the recent Shia killings in Quetta, Roohullah, a student at University of Engineering and Technology Lahore, said it was unfortunate that the government had failed to provide security to Hazaras in Quetta. Hailing from the same city, Quetta, Roohullah said that majority of Hazaras were Shias.

He said that Hazara professionals were being targeted, in what he termed as ‘single-sided sectarian violence’.

“We have been always economically marginalised and are now being victimised further by target killings,” he added.

With more than 60 people protesting with placards and banners, Liberty chowk witnessed a traffic jam around sunset, right at the start of the protest. Activists from the Concerned Citizens of Pakistan and the Institute of Peace and Secular Studies chanted slogans condemning the recent killings of Hazaras in Balochistan.

A rights activist and a lawyer by profession, Maryam Arif, said the Hazaras were unfortunately one of the most targeted communities in the country. “The number of people who have turned up is indicative that this exercise (protest) is worthwhile,” she added.

Chairperson IPSS Saeeda Diep said it was vital that people of the largest province of Pakistan raise their concerns over the recent planned attacks in Quetta. “We have to realise that Hazaras are part of our nation and are being brutally massacred,” said Diep. She added that this was the third such protest held to condemn the Hazara killings.

A student of accounting, Safar Mohammad said the government has failed miserably in protecting the Hazaras and “there is a huge negligence on part of the government which cannot protect a minority community”.

Mohammad, who is a Hazara himself, was amongst the 30 Hazaras participating in the protest. “Hazaras are easily identifiable and this adds to the misfortune of our people who are being target killed,” said Mohammad. However, he lamented that in Lahore there was a lack of understanding of the seriousness of the situation. “People need to realize how bad the situation is in Quetta,” he said.

“This is an organised plan to disintegrate the country,” said Justice (retd) Nasira Iqbal while speaking to The Express Tribune.

Justice Iqbal said that the country faced trying times and there was an urgent need for the civil society to become proactive. Calling it ‘sectarian cleansing’, Justice Iqbal said Shias were not a minority. “They have always been a part of us.”

Justice Iqbal said that with the increase in the discrimination based on religious affiliations, attempts were being made to disintegrate the country.

Lead singer of the band Baigharat Brigade, Ali Aftab, was also present at the protest. He said the Hazara killings were orchestrated with the intention of fanning sectarian violence in the country.

He added that it was unfortunate that the media had failed to report the correct figures of the killings. “The notion that we all have to be alike is very disturbing - we should acknowledge one another for our diversity be it religious or otherwise,” he said.

General secretary Bulleh Shah Foundation Shamim Akhtar said that religious scholars should also be made party to deliberations to encourage tolerance. Akhtar, condemning the killings, said the Pakistani society should rise above discriminatory attitudes. “And to think we have now resorted to killing one another is very unfortunate,” she added.

A member of Shia Raabta Committee, Moosa Haider, said the current situation was fallout of the Zia regime. “It is a dark part of our history, the consequences of which we are still bearing,” he said.

He further questioned why the government had failed to protect the minorities. “When will every citizen of our country enjoy equal privileges?” he added.