Balochistan’s Hazaras speak out Balochistan’s Hazaras speak out
During the past few years, attacks against Hazaras have increased, with Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LJ) claiming responsibility for many of these attacks. What do you think?
All Hazaras are Shia Muslims, hence easy targets of sectarianism in Pakistan. LJ has claimed many of these attacks and the government claims to have arrested suspects in this regard, but the alleged assailants are not brought before the public or in any court of law. Why is it so hard for the government to expose the suspects to the public? As long as the government is not going to reveal results of investigations and the accused, we cannot say anything definitively.
On 18 January, 2008, LJ's most wanted terrorists Dawoodi Badini and Usman Saifullah Kurd escaped from a cell in the Anti-Terrorist Force's (ATF) highest security zone. Attacks during the past 13 months in which Hazaras have been could be linked to this escape and to Kurd, who heads the LJ in Balochistan.
Do the Taliban have a presence in Quetta?
Not only are the Taliban in Quetta, but they are also in Zhob, Qila Saifullah, Khuzdar and other areas of Balochistan. In Quetta, they can literally be seen roaming around the city's centre. But their main entrenchments are in areas that surround Quetta.
How can the Taliban have a foothold in Quetta without someone's consent?
Invisible powers – those who want to destroy peace in Pakistan and think that the Taliban are good for the country – would consent to having them here. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Quetta is slowly being turned into another Swat.
As for the Hazaras, apart from being ideological opposites, we have historic grudges against the Taliban, who, according to an Amnesty International report, killed some 12,000 Hazaras in Mazar-i-Sharif and Bamiyan during their reign in Afghanistan. So we are surely not on the list of people who would welcome them in Quetta and the rest of Balochistan.
All Hazaras are Shia Muslims, hence easy targets of sectarianism in Pakistan. LJ has claimed many of these attacks and the government claims to have arrested suspects in this regard, but the alleged assailants are not brought before the public or in any court of law. Why is it so hard for the government to expose the suspects to the public? As long as the government is not going to reveal results of investigations and the accused, we cannot say anything definitively.
On 18 January, 2008, LJ's most wanted terrorists Dawoodi Badini and Usman Saifullah Kurd escaped from a cell in the Anti-Terrorist Force's (ATF) highest security zone. Attacks during the past 13 months in which Hazaras have been could be linked to this escape and to Kurd, who heads the LJ in Balochistan.
Do the Taliban have a presence in Quetta?
Not only are the Taliban in Quetta, but they are also in Zhob, Qila Saifullah, Khuzdar and other areas of Balochistan. In Quetta, they can literally be seen roaming around the city's centre. But their main entrenchments are in areas that surround Quetta.
How can the Taliban have a foothold in Quetta without someone's consent?
Invisible powers – those who want to destroy peace in Pakistan and think that the Taliban are good for the country – would consent to having them here. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Quetta is slowly being turned into another Swat.
As for the Hazaras, apart from being ideological opposites, we have historic grudges against the Taliban, who, according to an Amnesty International report, killed some 12,000 Hazaras in Mazar-i-Sharif and Bamiyan during their reign in Afghanistan. So we are surely not on the list of people who would welcome them in Quetta and the rest of Balochistan.
posted by temporal at 5/09/2009
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