A local leader of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl) was shot dead on Friday, whipping up fears of renewed sectarian violence and dealing a blow to efforts to maintain harmony in the region.
JUI-F’s former deputy secretary general Ubaidur Rehman was shot dead by gunmen outside his home in Gilgit city. “He was shot in the head,” Deputy Inspector General of Police Ali Sher told The Express Tribune. “We have detained four suspects for questioning,” he added.
The news of Ubaidur Rehman’s killing spread like wildfire, sparking protests across the city. Some 2,000 men gathered on Airport Road to condemn the killing. The situation, however, became tense after security forces tried to resist people coming from the Kondas area from joining the protest.
Ubaidur Rehman’s killing dealt a severe blow to Masjid Board’s efforts to create harmony in Gilgit-Baltistan region, which has seen frequent outbreaks of sectarian violence in the past.
In a rare move last week, a group of Sunni elders and clerics had led a mourning procession taken out by the Shia community – thanks to the Masjid Board’s efforts.
“I want to ask, ‘is this the reward of our peace initiatives’,” said JUI-F’s chief for G-B Maulana Luqman while addressing protesters. “We will be forced to withdraw our support to the peace initiatives if the killers are not brought to justice,” he warned.
The Masjid Board is a representative body of the Shia and Sunni communities which was formed after a deadly bout of violence in April that led to the imposition of curfew in the region.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 1st, 2012.
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