Pakistani government should urgently steps to protect the minority Shia Muslim community in Pakistan from sectarian attacks by militant groups, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday. The government should hold accountable those responsible for ordering and participating in deadly attacks targeting Shia.
While sectarian violence is a longstanding problem in Pakistan, attacks against ordinary Shia have increased dramatically in recent years, Human Rights Watch said. In 2012, at least 320 members of the Shia population have been killed in targeted attacks. Over 100 have been killed in Balochistan province, the majority from the Hazara community.
“Deadly attacks on Shia communities across Pakistan are escalating,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The government’s persistent failure to apprehend attackers or prosecute the extremist groups organizing the attacks suggests that it is indifferent to this carnage.”
Attacks targeting the Shia population have taken place repeatedly over the last year in Balochistan, the port city of Karachi, predominantly Shia populated areas of Gilgit Baltistan in the northern areas, and in Pakistan’s tribal areas, Human Rights Watch said.
Sunni militant groups such as the ostensibly banned Lashkar-e Jhangvi have operated with widespread impunity across Pakistan while law enforcement officials have effectively turned a blind eye on attacks against Shia communities. Some Sunni extremist groups are known to be allies of the Pakistani military, its intelligence agencies, and affiliated paramilitaries, such as the Frontier Corps, Human Rights Watch said.
While authorities claim to have arrested dozens of suspects in attacks against Shia since 2008, only a handful have been charged, and no one has been held accountable for these attacks. The August 31 arrest of Malik Ishaq, the leader of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, in Lahore in a case filed against him for inciting violence against the Shia community on August 9 is an important development, coming after repeated failed attempts to bring him to justice, Human Rights Watch said.
“The arrest of Malik Ishaq, who has been implicated in dozens of killings, is an important test for Pakistan’s criminal justice system,” Adams said. “Sectarian violence won’t end until those responsible are brought to trial and justice.”
Human Rights Watch urged Pakistan’s federal government and relevant provincial governments to make all possible efforts to promptly apprehend and prosecute those responsible for recent attacks and other crimes targeting the Shia population.
“Pakistan’s government cannot play the role of unconcerned bystander as the Shia across Pakistan are slaughtered,” Adams said. “Pakistan’s political leaders, law enforcement agencies, judiciary, and military need to take this as seriously as they take other security threats to the state.”
Pakistan should thank Saudi Arabia for fueling this tension. It is the most monstrous hatemonger country of the world.
This is rubbish allegations against these sincere and close freiends of Pakistan and moreover this is not the right time ti argue on this issue,otherwise Iran is also behind these incidents/So we must very causeous to make any final blame on any country.. As far as Saudi and U.A.E are concerned,they both are very noble and gentle countries and they hate to intervene in other countries`s internal affairs,All these unhappy incidents in Pakistan are being conducted by foreign hands not by Saudi or U.A.E.
Yes, Saudi and UAE governments are funding to these terrorists for this tension. So that Pakistanis will be busy with these killings and blasts and they make money from 99 percent of Pakistani industrialists who is looking for investments overseas and also guns will not turn to their side.
I fully agree with both the above comments.
Saudi Arabia and China are the all wether friends of pakistan.
why not pak should thank to Saudi Arabia. we are always blaming others for our own m istaks.
shias of pakistan should accept the majority sunni pakistan and should not treverse the sunni idealogy by using swear wards to sunni khilafat rashida.ie,04 khulafa rashideen.
Iranis and shia faith is being projected in a sunni state which could create such incidents and finally i suggest both side to keep tolarance for eachother. this is the final and forver solution of this cancer.
What is baffling is why did it take HRW so long to speak out? were they under pressure to sweep these atrocities under the carpet?Did so many Shias need to be slaughtered before UN/HRW noticed what was happening.Did these innocent peace loving people need to lose their lives.The footprints of the heretic wahabis are noticeable in the execution of these atrocities.The silence of zardari's government who are stooges of the wahabis, implies they are a party to these atrocities
Saudi Arabia has always used Pakistan to enhance its pro-Wahabi agenda by funneling money into the religious seminaries who preach hatered against the other sects. Look at its neighbor, Behrain, which is a Shia-majority state ruled by Sunni minority and how quickly Saudi Arabia had jumped to help out its ruler when it smelled turmoil which was coming out of the Arab Spring unrest. The so-called kingdom in Saudi Arabia is not going to last for too long. Its time is coming up soon.
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