In a brutal act of violence, at least 20 Shia passengers were targeted by unknown attackers and shot dead on Thursday. The attackers disguised themselves in army uniforms, checked the passengers’ documents and targeted those who were Shia. The incident was the third of its kind in the last six months.
Meanwhile, in Balochistan, Hazara Shia Muslims have been constantly targeted in a similar manner by assailants. On the same day as the bus carnage in Gilgit, three Hazara men were killed in Quetta.
The trend of Shia Muslims being targeted in specific parts of the country has increased over the last few months. Nothing seems to stop these attacks. The identity of the attackers is never revealed. When banned religious outfits claim responsibility for such attacks, there is no response except in the form of monotonous condemnation by government officials, who then go on to blame the violence on “foreign hands” and/or liberation movements.
A set pattern of the routes, targets and manner of attacks has emerged. Yet, law-enforcement agencies are unable to curb these attacks. Highways to hometowns and holy pilgrimage sites have turned into highways to hell. The impunity the attackers exhibit is horrid. In a video that has emerged after yesterday’s carnage, passengers are apparently being checked for being Shia Muslims. While the origins and the actual date and place of the filming of the video remain unclear, the brutality of the attackers is quite clear.
When will the law-enforcement agencies and the government take measures to stop such attacks?
Will the government ever admit to lapses in security it provides to the citizens? Why can they not do their basic job of providing security? Are they too busy fighting court cases? Or playing politics? Or is it a plain case of incompetence and complacency?
How can the non-Muslim minorities be assured of their safety in Pakistan when even the Muslim minorities are not safe?
Dawn.com invites its readers to share their opinions and suggestions…
The video you are talking about is not taht of Yesterday’s incident. It was Chilas where more than 3000 armed terrorists attacked a bus convoy and killed dozens of innocent Shia muslims. No one was apprehended and tried , thats why yesterday’s event occurred.
Decimation of Hindus and Sikhs first,then Shias and Ahmediyas,Christians,then it will be intra Sunni decimation….wake up Pakistan/Muslims in general???
Agree 100%
Mass killings can occur anywhere-in “civilized” Germany and in “backward” Cambodia or Rwanda.
One can notice one common thread among these killings -an overarching ideology which
lets go of rationality and reasoning.
It is like prodrome of a disease when the first symptoms of a disease sets in,followed by the diesease i
itself and then a whole epidemic,followed by a pandemic.
Unless the root,some ideology and the pattern of thinking it creates is questioned,such descent
into chaos can be put down by brute force,and when that happens,the thin veneer of civilization
we wear gets washed off in a jiffy…
i
The main question is why government not taking action against these extremist element or we assume that it government policy to support these elements. These extremist elements make not only this country hell but the whole world.
Pakistan has reached this state with years of brainwashing and providing fertile environment to these fanatical groups. This cannot be fixed in a day. Your country needs to approach it from all angles. on the legal side you need to get rid of laws that are discriminatory. On the education side you need to fix your text books that are not compatible with secular credentials. You have to rein in on the mullahs. Your politicians should not be scared to express themselves. Unfortunately even well meaning folks cannot express themselves afraid of being a target. Finally your army/police needs to stop supporting extremist elements for so called strategic advantage. All of this cannot happen in day. You are going to lose whatever Hindus/christians left before your nation wakes up. In the end you are the loser, pakistan in the international community of nations will take a beating when it cannot take care of it’s minorities. Wake up now before it is too late.
What is there to loose for Majority? international community of nations will make some loose noise for couple of weeks and sleeps back.
No one will loose any thing. Runners are the looses.
If the Majority in country want you to leave and government ( or Say Rulers Whoever that is) Support it
you do not have any other options. There is nothing Majority is going to loose.
well said, worlds of my heart. i m shia muslim and we cannot go to our village because of these elements
Imran may be useful …
Yes. Maybe.
Very well put. They have a deeply flawed polity and it has to be a thorough refurbishing to make it work.
To shias: if Iran,the Shia paradise on earth,does something akin to what Pakistan is doing,like persecution of Bahais,learn to SHOUT ALOUD against it as well?
Firstly, what is happening with the Shias of Pakistan is being carried out by non-state actors. Ofcourse, the state has failed the shias by failing to take stern action against these brain-washed terrorist groups and supporting them atleast in the past (if not now).
Secondly, not only Sunnis but Jews and Christians live peacefully in Iran. Infact Iran has the second largest population of Jews in the Middle East after Israel. What is happening in Pakistan is peculiar to this country.
Thirdly, the mess we find ourselves in is as much a responsibility of secular politicians and secular army as any other segment of the society. These people have invoked religion to suit their lust for power from time to time. Afghan Jihad is a prime example where religion was a tool in the hands of the army generals to be exploited for their strategic aims.
Fourthly, any fight against religious extremism will not be successful unless the religious leadership also supports it. Pakistanis are deeply religious people and the Mullahs are indispensable in fighting religious extremism.
How this happens is the real dilemma facing Pakistan.
I think sheer lack of understanding of the religion is causing them to not take notice. But it’s also thier oblivious trait to every killings and bomb blasts. It’s like the govt have been given big chunks of green notes as a free pass to wipe out the Pakistani population,it’s atrocious and disdainful. SHAME ON THe GOVT. I hope the nation stands up to protest it and put an end to this!
Government literary fail to cur the target killing of innocent Pakistani Shias.
Very bad situation in Pakistan, no one is secure.
why president and the prime minister, rehman malik coas arenot taking any action where is our police force we pakistan intelligence where is chaudhry justice he is a powerful man he should do something all pakistanis want peace and they love their govt if they are protected and live inpeace. is very smart and they know well when they claim openly that they have killed or have bombed why they are not worried we dont have heard any sorrow grief for these inocents pakistanis are they not humans only the majority religion faith is secure and if the mawalana or the others are shot dead by their own people they blame minority what kind of wisdom they have we should banned all the religious activities on the roads or in any where in pakistan and this only govt can do it nothing is impossible specially to create a peace and security for all pakistanis in pakistan govt should make a strict rule no sectarian why we all are created by one universalsoul and will remain we are and we were.