The security for Shias

The government needs to do more

Every succeeding year during this holy month of Muharram, the sectarian violence reaches new highs. Those with distorted mindsets about Islam as a religion of peace means, start targeting Shia. Each year, the government promises newer and better security plans to protect the Shia, but these plans fall short of delivering almost every year. This year, the PML-N led Punjab government had announced a so-called four-tier security plan to avoid any violent incident. However, the killing of three Shias in two attacks on imambargahs in Gujranawala the other day clearly reflects chinks in the plan.

Providing security to every citizen without discrimination is government’s responsibility, and by extension of the law enforcement agencies. But how to go about this fundamental right is the duty of the government, that of the politicians in power. With the government being unable to provide this fundamental right, it is no wonder the sectarian militants take advantage of the situation and exploit it to create reign of chaos and terror through targeting the religious minority. Granted the government wants peace with terrorists, evident from its attempts at starting a peace dialogue with the TTP, but meanwhile it should not ignore the safety and security of its citizens.

Putting innocent citizens, who mandated the government to bring to an end this decade-long reign of terror in the country, at the mercy of those very terrorists is perhaps not the best way to placate them into talks. The dynamics of sectarian violence is highly complicated in a country that was created to practice Islam’s best traditions. Minorities have already been almost sidelined from the mainstream social and political life in the country, and now it seems the same is being done with the sects that do not conform to the militant fundamentalists and conservative hardliners. That the political party in power has close ties with some of the worst hatemongers against the Shias does not help the government in overcoming this menace.

The right to practice religion freely is enshrined in the constitution. The same holds for the right to life and freedom of expression. The governments, both federal and provincial, must ensure that the tenets of the constitution are not only implemented but also respected. Meanwhile, they can increase security personnel and intelligence gathering to provide incident-free security to the Shias in a month so sacred to every Muslim.