The incident took place in Quetta, the capital of the oil and gas rich province of Baluchistan, as Zulfiqar Naqvi was travelling to his office.
"Gunmen were waiting for him at a railway crossing, the moment the car slowed down, the assailants sprayed bullets and fled," senior police officer Wazir Khan Nasir told AFP.
"The target of the attack was the judge and it appeared to be a sectarian incident."
Khalid Mazoor, another senior police officer, confirmed the killings and added the gunmen were riding a motorbike.
There was no claim of responsibility for the attack but Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, has been a flashpoint for violence between majority Sunni and Shia, who make up around 20 percent of the population.
Sectarian conflict has left thousands of people dead since the late 1980s, and the province also suffers Taliban attacks and a separatist insurgency.
Baloch rebels rose up in 2004, demanding political autonomy and a greater share of profits from the region's oil, gas and mineral resources.
Bomb blasts and attacks on police and security forces are frequent in the province, which is one of the most deprived areas of Pakistan.
COMMENTS (59)
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@realist: Is Pakistan your father's property or what. why don't you guys leave to Saudi .
This must be pretty frustrating for Shias. It is for me. After reading some of the comments I got this idea that people think of the CJ as some kind of hero-judge who has never practiced judicial restraint all his life. Folks thats not the case the outcry of Shias is correct. CJ is always standing on the corner giving a tao to his mustaches and taking suo moto on petty matters. So why not now ? Could it be that like army and PTI and PML-N the CJ too is politicized. My condolences to Shia community. I can see this is not going anywhere good. Very shameful IK and Nawaz Sharif sb. We had hoped you could bring an equilibrium to this messy situation in Pakistan but you guys did not even bother to denounce it once. Probably you think it is better not to make a big deal out of this could affect your voters. I hope this phlegm is not a part of the notorious change plan @IK.
P.S: Interestingly some of the comments talked about why divide Muslims into sects just label it a Muslim Judge shot dead. This media has done it for a very long time. Not fruitful.
@casim We expect CJ to take suo moto on killings of Shia. if suo moto can be initiated on a slap of Waheeda Shah, then suo moto on killings of Shia can also be taken. We dont want him to implement anything, but he should take stand on killings of Shias just like he took stand on mission persons. I dont like Faisal Abidi but his words are becoming true day by day and his view of the judiciary is right.
@wah ja: I think you lack the knowledge of what's happening in Pakistan! CJ is not an interior minister! FYI CJ has taken up the case of Baluchistan way before this attack on the judge! blame the Government & the drunk CM of Baluchistan who stays in Islamabad instead of Quetta! people like you are hypocrite who have no sense of complexity of the situation & divide Pakistan & side with those outsiders who bombard the comment section of ET. CJ is no Interior minister how can you blame him when the government is no cooperating! All this is part of the big game to create anarchy in Pakistan so stop fooling us Pakistanis.
Fire the chief justice .He is the biggest curse on Pakistan. We hate him
@the Skunk: What constitution? The CJ will invoke Blasphemy against you. He is not from the victims' sect.
Sadly most of the people here are still living in a mode of denial. Or they just don't have a heart. It is really surprising to see people actually suggesting Shia Muslims to get out of their homeland (whose founder was a Shia), instead of showing solidarity. And then they say we are all Muslim brothers. Please go through your priorities once again and decide if it's going to be genocide and discrimination or tolerance.
I wonder where is the mighty Judiciary of Pakistan on this subject. To me it looks like the Judiciary does nothing more then taking petty revenge from certain groups in Pakistan. I am beginning to doubt the goals and fairness of the Courts of Pakistan, Wake up Mr. Justice
@Iftikhar Khan: Thanks for the e-mail link.
ET, I'm glad my earlier comment got posted. But your Dawn-like edit, sanitization and censor of the culprits' religious backgrounds, named comfortably by academics and neutral websites like BBC, and not an attempt at generalization, is unfortunate and inconsistent moderating.
@kdp. What I fear is not foreign intervention, but reprisal killings by the till now silent Pakistani Shia Muslims.
@Syed:
I don't understand why extremists are condoned and given mainstream air time. Are there no moderates left? Unfortunately his irrational grievance and prejudiced excuses are quite common and similar to some comments on these forums.
@ibrahim Hashmi: "purely secterion war where both sects target each other."
Why and how are you making this statement? do you have any data? it is clearly one sided and it is not sectarian, neither Sunnis nor Shias are involved in this. This is being done by one hate monger group who are out there under different names, they are not worthy of being called humans let alone Sunnis. So please don't insult Sunnis, as they have targeted sunnis as well and they are going to increase that once they are finish with Shias.
Dear Brothers, If we don't stop this now then these barbarians are not going to spare anyone. Today it is mostly Shias tomorrow it will be you and me and everybody else. It is our duty to do whatever we can to stop this and support those want uproot this evil ideology from our motherland. Here is the address for supreme court mail@supremecourt.gov.pk
They will be force to take action if they receive thousands and millions of letters
There is no Shia Sunni violence in Pakistan, it is extremists Deobandis murdering Shias.
The picture above shows how well equiped is police.At the place of killing bricks srround the area instead of proper appratus that every police vehicle is supposed to be equiped.This cost not much but it shows lack of intrest on the part of authorities or incompetence of higher police official. One more tragic incidense once more state bowing to the religious terrorists.
@Hasan: I agree 100%. I hope Iranians do not get involved to revenge Shai Killing in Pakistan. It will then be a Mayhem.
"two others" what does that mean? did they belong to different religion or sect?
@Peace I want:
Please ask your brotherly Iran to take you in.
Until people of Pakistan rise against terrorism, no one can save Pakistan. Put your mullah back into box & confine your religion to your self than preaching to other will solve this riddle. Become humane Pakistani first than Islamic Pakistani. There is no other way around. It is bitter pill but everyone has to swallow.
purely secterion war where both sects target each other.
If one is killed for being a human being, it will be reported that a human being was killed. If one is killed because of being Muslim, it will be reported that a Muslim was killed. But as long as Shia Muslims are killed because of being Shia - and that is what is happening in Pakistan - let us not be ostriches, and let us have the guts to at least call a spade a spade.
I am a Pakistani Shia Muslim - all three by choice, by the way. However, I thank Allah that this mayhem is one-sided till now. The day it becomes "sectarian warfare" or "violence between Shias and Sunnis" as callously misreported by ET, 1971, post-9/11, FATA and the various Balochistan insurgencies will, God forbid, seem like child's play. So, even at the cost of the lives of those around me, and perhaps even my own, I pray that the situation remains one-sided. However, with each passing day, I am losing hope in my prayer, as I see even the right to protest being curbed by no less a person than one donning the mantle of CJP.
This CJ did not utter a word of condemnation when Mumtz Quadri, the assassin of Salmaan Taseer was showered with rose petals and given a heros welcome in the Court by his own judges and lawyers. Leave Suo Moto action, he did not take any disciplinary action on the judges and did not even condemn the judges. Salmaan Taseer's son is still missing and forgotten.
@ssdpa: I respect your sentiments but unfortunately reality suggest something else
"There was no claim of responsibility for the attack but Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, has been a flashpoint for violence between majority Sunni and Shia, who make up around 20 percent of the population" Violence between shias and sunnis in balochistan . Are you kidding?? its systematic genocide of shias in Pakistan and reactionary killings are very less or non-existant . Please potray as it should be dont hide the fact to balance the situation and to please your majority readers.
Ladies and gentleman a Muslim is killed but reported as a Shia but why? Blood of a Muslim is cheap but why? Nobody is safe in this land of piece that is the only understanding I had got from this terrorism. Please don't supply oil to the fire initiated by the enemy of Muslim.If a Shia is killed a Muslim is killed and same for a Sunni.
INDIA Please accept us as your citizens. My grand father was a citizen of India (united India) so I hope I can qualify for the citizenship,
Thanks. A Shia
I was watching ARY yesterday and they had three scholers from the 3 schools of thought. Right away Sipah e Sahaba's boss started talking about the Irani cultural center in Pakistan and some objectionable books. Anchor told him that Iran itself does not have the only cultural center in Pakistan as other countries also have them. Plus is that the reason you will go on killing the Shias in Pakistan? I don't even think Iran gets involved in Pakistan's politics or speak that often for their victim brothers in Pakistan. I feel like they should do something as no one in Pakistan cares for this minority sect. On the other hand its public knowledge that Saudis and Gulf countries have pumped so much money into these madrasas and have created this monster that is destroying the country. Shouldn't these so called religious leaders fear Allah once in a while at least?
@ ET : Why tagging it "Shia" ? Why can't we write Muslim and stop dividing the nation.
Judges are the central pillar of any civilization. Today it is a Shia judge. Tomorrow it will be Sunni judges. Killing judges will make Pakistan immediately go into chaos.
Sias are being wiped out in pakistan. Future is scary for them.
shameful
Good morning. A new day and same old shia killing in Pakistan. The minority in Pakistan are living with people worse than animals. 50% of the population has become taliban but at least the other 50% should raise a voice. Do something about this menace or 20% minority will be gone and these talibans will come after them.
this is probably the act of muktibahini
Where is the stupid CM of Balochistan?
Respectd CJ of Pakistan.
Can I dare put a simple question? If these killers are caught by law enforcing authorities, what will be their fate? I am sure there will be no witness, and they will be soon freed by courts.
And if they somehow become missing persons, what possibily will be the action against law enforcing authorities?
@Indian Wisdom: Even Shia PM (Benazir Bhutto) was not spared, then he was just a judge!
Our deepest sympathies with the Shias. This is sheer cowardness.
Did any one say this is not our war now?
@rizwan i know thats why i said at least take suo moto now considering him a judge not a Shia
@casim: i think this is just sheer hypocrisy on your part. What about the Samosa price case in Ramzan? what about supreme court actions directing PEMRA to censor media in Pakistan? CJ can't pick can chose when he wants to play the enforcer as well Please don't call it Sectarianism, this is systematic elimination of a particular group of people. and the problem is that people like you do not want to realize that it's a problem.
GOP please wake up, the whole country would go up in flames in not too distant future.
This is complete insanity and no other word for it. This is not a 'shark frenzy' but a 'human frenzy.'
Mr. Chief Justice! Please take suo moto notice and invoke the relevant article in the constitution.
Salams
Very Sad. Who are these barbarian. ? It should be gov top piority to get them before they get out of hand.
Unfortunate!!!! Even judges are not spared??? This shows how much respect these goons have for the law of land.
I am sure Pakistan Govern. will say foreign hands are involved..while they themselves are pious.Pakistan ruling party says if our government falls coercively..country will disintegrate...it is a fraud.....but if shiite genocide is not stopped then surely country will disintegrate.
@Zaki Shah: but not from his own sect. as that matters to him more.
A petty incident is it now CJ..??
@zahra ali: if he is ignoring the Baluchistan issue then why is CJ in Quetta? for recreational fun? :) secondly, CJ is not an interior minister, he can just order but implementation of the order is the job of the Government & we all know how law abiding our Government is, all credit goes to this Government for giving us Pakistanis a secure Pakistan :)
Sad to see Pakistan without any law & order for past 6-7 years & our leaders are just concerned with power sharing strategies! anyway, the problem in Quetta or in KP is not sectarian, it is made to look like this to create anarchy & hatred between different sects, ethnic communities. We need to realise this fact!
My Lord Chief Justice: at least take the suo moto now on killing of a SHIA judge, he was from your profession
Mr. Cheif Justice: Yesterday they came for ordinary citizen now they are coming for you....either speak up or surrender all powers to terrorists
very sad news but attitude of judicial officers have been like sitting in top storey of the titanic, not realizing that they too would drown.
That perhaps explains why it must be hard to convict and sentence terrorists in the country.
Ignore this chief justice. Now its one of yours too.