Police said Wednesday they had launched a crackdown on Sunni militants, detaining scores of suspects after being criticised for inaction over increased sectarian killings.
“We have rounded up about 100 people. They are being interrogated,” said senior police officer Hamid Shakeel. Gunmen on Tuesday attacked a bus of Shias from the minority Hazara ethnic group on the outskirts of Quetta. The death toll from the attack rose to 14 as another victim died overnight, officials said. Two people are still in a critical condition in hospital.
Human rights organisations condemned the attacks and accused the government of not taking steps to prevent sectarian murders. “The targeted killings of Shia are a barbaric attempt at sectarian and ethnic cleansing,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The government’s failure to break up the extremist groups that carry out these attacks calls into question its commitment to protect all of its citizens,” he said.
Amnesty International said ethnic, political and sectarian killings raise “serious questions about the will or ability” of Pakistani security forces to protect the people of Balochistan.
