With the arrival of the month of Muharram, killings of Shias have commenced.
These killings have occurred particularly in Army controlled areas. On the 2nd day of holy month of Muharram, October 4, two incidents of Shia killings have been reported. Six persons including four women belonging to Shia sect of Islam were gunned downed in two different cities. The incidents occurred in Quetta, Balochistan Province, and Wah Cantonment, Punjab Province, in areas under the tight control of Pakistan Army.
It is being discussed in the country that when the Army cannot protect citizens in areas under their control, how can it protect the nation if war were to break out between India and Pakistan.
The incident in Quetta City, involved the gunning down of four women on October 4th, while they were heading back to their homes in the City. The women were Hazara Shias, which remains the main target of sectarian hate. During the past 10 years, more than 500 Hazara Shia have been killed in different incidents of targeted killings, suicide bomb attacks, and attacks on their houses and imam bargah.
Two attackers riding on motorcycle sneaked into the heavily controlled area of the Frontier Corps (FC) and stopped the bus, which was carrying eight women. They entered the bus to check the identity cards of every woman, and proceeded to shoot them. Four died at the spot; one is seriously injured; three escaped. The site of this targeted killing is less than 500 meters from an FC post. In Quetta, pillion riding is banned, but these bike riders were driving in the presence Army men.
The same evening, another such incident occurred in Punjab. Two Shias including an Imam were shot and killed by motorcycle riders when both of them emerged from their mosque at Wah Ordnance Factory, run by the armed forces of Pakistan, and always under tight security.
In both cases, a banned religious organisation, Lashkar e Jhangvi (LeJ) International, has claimed responsibility. This organisation works openly in cities, from collecting funds to recruiting militants. In Balochistan, LeJ works under the patronage of authorities to suppress Baloch organisations and there is visual evidence about LeJ meetings with Army officers.
The history of Pakistan has seen that whenever there is a crisis in the country, religious minority groups are made targets, particularly in those areas under direct control of the security establishment.
The Asian Human Rights Commission condemns these killings of Shia men and women during their mourning month of Muharram and urges the authorities to take stern action in order to protect the community.
It is appalling that the government and security establishment ignore the instigation and provocation of sectarian strife by targeting Shia persons, including women. The government and security establishment must stop the killings of Shia.
The Hazara Shia of Quetta remain a target of banned sectarian organisation, and since 2012, more than 300 Hazaras have been killed in targeted killings, suicide bomb attacks, and attacks on their houses and educational institutions. The authorities appear least interested to protect the Hazara community.
Significantly, when there are threats of war between India and Pakistan, and the two nations are very close to war, sudden killings of Shias in Military controlled area gives a strange message – that Pakistan Military wants to keep up the heat at borders and also on the internal front, to keep civilian rule under its thumb in the name of national security.
The government must immediately initiate inquiry into the target killings of men and women from the Shia community inside military zones and prosecute those responsible in civilian courts.
