Some political leaders have spoken about ‘foreign hands’ being behind the recent violence in Quetta. PHOTO: REUTERS
The Hazaras in Quetta want to bury their dead – but they can’t, because of the inflexibility of the government and the state in providing relief to a community which has been systematically targeted for a few years now.
The Hazaras, who are Shias and are distinguishable due to their features, have been a target for terrorist forces that want to eliminate them for political and religious-ideological reasons. Some political leaders have spoken about ‘foreign hands’ being behind the recent violence in Quetta. Such perceptions reflect a certain amount of cunningness and naivety; because the source of violence is in Balochistan itself. It has been a year or more since proscribed organisations like Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)/Jamaatud Daawa (JuD) have been gathering in the province. They are collecting money and even recruiting people from their bases in Punjab, Sindh and Khyber-Pakthunkhwa for Balochistan. There are several explanations for this, varying from global, to geo-political, to domestic national security.
The LeT/JuD network does not adopt the same tone as some Deobandi militant groups, but the fact remains that it has not withdrawn a fatwa condemning Shias to death. A significant dimension of the LeJ ideology, on the other hand, is specifically against Shias. Many believe that the Hazara killings are an extension of the old Iran-Saudi cold war. LeJ leader Malik Ishaq was recently given a stockpile of money during his visit to Saudi Arabia. There are some who would like to discourage the economic benefits Iran reaps from Shia pilgrimages to holy places in the country. The pilgrims include many from Pakistan, especially the Hazaras. Some of Pakistani ‘hotshot’ analysts considered close to the GHQ have also written about Hazaras getting money from Iran as a possible reason for being targeted. There is a deep-set suspicion of Iran in Pakistan’s security establishment, which dates back to the confrontation over Afghanistan and the Taliban.
However, the Iran-Saudi Arabia cold war dates back to the early 1980s and has resulted in targeted killing of both Sunni and Shias, but specifically mass killing of Shias in Pakistan. It may not necessarily explain the recent hike in violence against Hazaras which is both an inadvertent and deliberate byproduct of the presence of LeT/JuD and SSP/LeJ networks in the province. But the ganging up of militants in Balochistan has certainly increased this Hazara-Shia violence. It is also ominous in many ways, such as for relations between the Hazara and Baloch communities. Moreover, it could also be a precursor of military intervention in the province as the Hazaras are currently demanding. This will generate its own set of violence against Baloch nationalists, and thus draw the wedge between the two communities even deeper.
The only way out is for the government to stop acting blind and cold-hearted, and to investigate these killings. The matter has gone too far for the government to sell the story of its helplessness. It must either stand and be counted or leave the show.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 14th, 2013.
COMMENTS (12)
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i think blame on Iran is just to justify the funding from Saudi to extremists groups who killing shiaat in Pakistan for more than 3 decades, its planned and improved plan from establishment at this junction establishment must realize the importance otherwise once county entered to civil war nothing can save as India is waiting for such situation to take full advantage, can we allow every institution to perform its duty, can we trust they are also sincere as we with Pakistan can we stop the WAR others on our land ? why not those who funding Pakistani extremist not finishing shiaat at their own land , busy keeping holding dialogues here thy are using weapons why????? is there any other agenda despite these shia killings behind the funding's?????? one who can't be sincere with motherland can be with his mother ??????
We need to all wise up and apply critical thinking, especially those making up most of the state institutions, instead of being steeped in warped deluded regional and paranoid xenophobic world views. Pak's Sunni majority needs to re-examine their prejudices halting the rise of bigotry and start holding Wahhabi/Salafi/Deoband/Sunni extremist groups accountable instead of making excuses and condoning violence for regional or ideological gains. Such mindsets are only being dishonest with themselves and others, betraying and sabotaging their own nation's interests and fellow countrymen, especially minorities.
@Aijaz Haider: Dear Aijaz haider waiting for your reply please or from writer
The article is indicative of lack of any knowledge about the issue and based on SUNNI SUNNAI or agenda Politics. The writer seems to have special agenda and I am sure she has never visited Buluchistan and nor she has any factual Knowledge. Buluchistan Shia Killings have their roots in Al Qaeda Project of Destabilizing Pakistan and Lashkar E Jhangvi has fotnd its new allies sharing the same agenda of Hatred of Shias JAND ALLAH group fighting the Iranian Revolution and supported by CIA, MOSAD and other anti Iran Lobbies. They have to create polarization between Sunnis and Shias to have better environments. As USA Forces are in Afghanistan so they have the free supply of weapons and training.
What a raw piece from an established writer! The current social,economic or political condition of Hazaras hardly points to any external support. They have remained a marginalized community for long. Many of them come to Karachi to find menial jobs as domestic staff in mostly Shitte households (because no one else would employ them!).
This is a one-sided genocide from known perpetrators...not a sectarian clash!
Bloch should take this matter seriously and through away the religious militant insurgents among them otherwise next step will be the operation in the name of wipe up religious militancy which will diffidently be very hard for them as nation. in current media war only the propagation works effectively , must be serious about the matter , Regards GBRM
this is very sad to see the role of KSA in such issue specially when it goes to about internal security of a nuclear brother country Pakistan who always help KSA in all situations, the blind love from people of Pakistan towards suadia and the response from KSA by helping handful killers against the whole population of Pakistan.these people who has killed countless shia and sunni in pakistan under the Deobandi extremists thoughts which is really shocking to hear about the saudia financial support, one news paper reported about the quatta killings with details from the release of Malik Ishaq LeJ head on Ranasanullahs' request through CJS and his last month visit to Saudi Arabia and collection of the high stockpile amount from there , the collected amount used in two incidents , 8 core spent on release of shakirullah Jan and his companion from Gilgit prison who were under trail there in a high profile case of a prominent Shia leader Zia-uddin Rizvi , they manged escape from prison last month in a dramatic flee, when the Gilgit city was under high security cordone due to tense on Yom-e-Imam Hussain RA programm at sole University of Gilgit Baltistan,both accused manged successful flee from the prison, security experts and local leaders trem it a conspiracy to release accused, report revealed the distribution of 8 core pakistan rupees on the release of bothe accused the amount released by Malick Ishaq through a Gilgit based Deobandi Molvi , who supposed to the real hurdle in GB peace initiative all the times , local people complained often about the undue support and favore from military and civilians intelligences agencies have dishearted the majority who want peace in the region and demanding for more decentralization of powers to Gilgit Baltistan which is without basic rights for last 65 years, where agencies had played the same rule divide and keep busy by raising sectrain clashes between Deobandi and shia communities, Deobandies suppose to have ample cooperation from agencies which made them more active despite their minority in numbers, bureaucrats who usually on deputation in the area always experienced high favoritism to the Deobandi group all this supposed to implementing by establishment to defuse majority population impact in decision making of the regions; daily affairs, in the wake of 2 consecutive killing incidents on KKH now people mind has changed about Pakistan, they has started to consider for other options once it was a big crime to discuss even in GB,Nationalists leadership now can take advantage of this trust deficit between the people and Federal government and other security agencies, once people understand and say yes to they ideas of GB nationalists with open hearted than Pakistan will loose the area with in a short time span which probably Pakistani security experts never though.agencies has been forcing the majority towards this option they actually blinded in sectrain fantasy due to the high influx of countless rupees from overseas to kill Shias in Pakistan, why Altaf Hussain echoed M A Jinnah was shia just to realize these agencies to change their mentality towards Shia community in Pakistan otherwise Pakistan will be soon a war turned country .
Dear Sir Aijaz Haider! read ur article a lot ,Saudia a kingdom of just 10 Million is not soverign in own land and oil business but on fore front of destablisation of many countries??is,nt it naive to beleive that instead of killing shias in own empire or sunni in Iran they are upto neck of only friendly country of both,Might be some matric level making foreign policies of both countries driven by lust of killing. and please provide details of any outfit linked with hazaras and killing countdown in comparison to suffering of its 1200?? and if we have a small knowledge of geography don,t you think that it is some how localised in quetta??while leaving Millions of heretics in punjab by the banned outfit of jhang while these groups believe that charity begans at home as TTP does?please educate us before we read the same theory again ,just a lust for knowledge.
Firstly, cunningness and naivety dont go hand in hand! There are indeed way too many players in Balochistan. but it was interesting that you did not devote more critique on the role of jandullah and have you considered that perhaps an ethnically cleansed, sunni balochistan is what the balochis want- pure and simple.
"It may not necessarily explain the recent hike in violence against Hazaras...."
Perhaps this explanation lies in the possibility that the sectarian militants targeting defenceless Hazaras serve the interest of Pakistani political groups as well the military establishment. For instance horrific and senseless violence against Hazaras is no doubt currently diverting international attention from separatist insurgency in Balochistan. Isn't this a reason for not cracking down on the militant outfits and providing them with an open season on poor Hazara minority ???
"However, the Iran-Saudi Arabia cold war dates back to the early 1980s and has resulted in targeted killing of both Sunni and Shias, but specifically mass killing of Shias in Pakistan." Then Iran and Saudi Arabia must be told to stay out of this and instead help Pakistan in solving the issue.