Sectarian Killing Spread Fear, Tears and Unrest in Pakistan
Who’s behind sectarian violence?
Pakistan sank in a sea of blood on November 21 this year when gunmen opened unprecedented fire on the convey of passenger vans of Shia — a minority group — pilgrims in Kurram and brutally killed 42 people, including women and children.
The gut-wrenching incident spread anger and anguish among the locals as they held protest demonstrations countrywide condemning the killing and blaming the government for criminal negligence.
Heebie-jeebies
The barbaric killing sent a shiver up locals’ spines as following the incident markets remained closed and roads and streets of the district wore a deserted look.
The blood-stained dead bodies and the harrowing tales of the survivors spread a wave of fear and grief as a large number of people mourned the inhuman killings of the innocent people.
The bereaved families cried at the top of their lungs over the irreparable loss of their loved ones.
Tears were rolling down on the cheeks of children but their fathers were not there to wipe their tears and console them as they left the eternal world.
The merciless targeted killing of a minority group — the Shia community — forced locals to remain indoors.
Fragile law and order
The deadly attack also sparked sectarian clashes between Shia and Sunni communities in the restive Kurram district which killed 124 and injured more than 170 despite the ceasefire called by the government.
The intermittent skirmishes between Shia and Sunni communities in the district marred the peace of the area and brought economic activities to a standstill.
The deteriorated law and order situation exposed the inability and incompetency of the government to maintain peace in the district. Although, due to the efforts of the government, the warring communities reached ceasefires, but both groups broke the agreement which resulted in the rise of casualties.
As many as 130 people have been killed and 186 injured despite the ceasefire brokered in restive Kurram. Kurram is a mountainous district of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan.
The district witnessed deadly sectarian skirmishes over the past few decades over land disputes between Shia and Sunni tribes named Alizai and Bagan.
that more than 2,000 people were killed in the deadliest period of violence between 2007 and 2011 in Kurram.
Blame game
Radio Free Europe reported that the Shia blames the Sunni extremist groups — including the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Islamic State-Khorasan, and Lashkar-e Jhangvi —and are trying to exterminate or expel them from Kurram.
Many of the groups have targeted Shia, whom they see as apostates.
However, the Sunni community blames the violence in Kurram on the Zainebiyoun Brigade, a Shi’ite militia made up of Pakistanis who fought in Syria. The group included Shia from Kurram, some of whom have returned home in recent years.
The ongoing clashes and the heavy use of weapons from the both sides resulted in the killing of innocent people which needs to be stopped.
Both groups need to show wisdom and refrain from killing one another so that the durable and lasting peace can be restored in the area.
