Saudi /Lashkar-e-Jhangvi'Love-in'

Pakistan’s Hazaras, a prosperous, moderate community who found refuge after brutal crackdowns in Afghanistan, are again living in fear as they suffer record levels of sectarian violence. Overwhelmingly Shias, the roughly 550,000 Hazaras in Quetta are descendants of migrants from Afghanistan, where the community opposed the 1996-2001 Taliban regime but has since prospered._______________________________________________

The Wahhabi were founded by Abd al-Wahab (1703-1791) who claimed that the teachings of Mohammed had been corrupted by decadent influences. He argued that the faith should return to the purity of the Islam of the first two centuries. After his expulsion from Medina Wahab formed a relationship with the Saud tribe. The Saud's went onto conquer Arabia. By 1811 they had established control and created a capital in Riyadh. Wahhabism became the favoured version of Islam. The Saudi reign was challenged by the Ottoman Empire on two occasions. The last was made famous by the film Lawrence of Arabia. This was to mark the beginning of a strange friendship between the West and Islamic fundamentalism. The British formed an alliance with the Saudi's to defeat the common enemy, Ottoman Turkey. The result was the restoration of the Saudi dynasty in Riyadh and the re-establishment of the Wahhabi sect.

However, not all is well in the relationship between the Saud royal family and Wahhabi clerics. Wahhabism is puritan in outlook and shuns the ostentatious display of wealth. As oil money began to spoil and corrupt the royal family Wahhabi clerics began to declaim the corrupting influence of the West. There is now deep division within the Saudi society between the supporters of religious orthodoxy and the supporters of a more pro-western stance. 

The Deobandi are named after a Muslim seminary founded in the Indian city of Deoband in 1866. This sect arose largely in response to the perceived corruption caused by the influence of Hindu syncretism and Sufi mysticism. They were also violently opposed to British rule. Like the Wahhabi it seeks to return to a purer version of Islam. For this reason the Deobandi are sometimes incorrectly referred to as Wahhabi. 

When Pakistan and India split during the partition Deobandi radicals became influential in Pakistani politics. It is the Deobandi who founded the madrassas, the religious schools that were the source of the Taliban, Taliban simply means 'student'. 

The important point to remember is that both of these sects arose as a reaction to the belief that Islam had been corrupted by outside forces, and they arose before oil had been discovered in the Middle East.

As mentioned the Saud royal family are the patrons of Wahhabi sect. The Wahhabi sect has had a powerful influence throughout the Islamic world. Many rich Saudi's regard it as their religious duty to support the efforts of the clerics. This has included the private and public funding of a network of charitable organisations. These organisations helped fund Deobandi madrassas in Pakistan and helped fund Bashir's school in Indonesia. A proportion of this money has also helped fund Osama bin Laden's activities, pursued in the name of Wahhabi religious zealotry. 

The common Muslims of the subcontinent have been moderate and the general body of both Sunnis and Shiites has lived in peace. Not so long ago people following the Sunni doctrine used to be seen atop rooftops witnessing Ashura processions. At some places, they also used to set up water dispensers for the mourners. Despite their doctrinal differences, the common Muslim did not consider others heretics or apostates. These are now things of the past.

The Saudi influence in Pakistan and the adoption of extremist demands has led to the unhindered growth of extremism. The country started depending on Saudi Arabia for financial assistance and even involved it in its political matters. The dependence of Pakistan on Saudi aid had a price tag about which the common Pakistani had no idea. The price tag was the total freedom to the Salafi doctrine to set up their religious schools or madrassas without any government oversight over the syllabi. That resulted in the exponential growth of this doctrine, which had a comparatively inclusive strain of Sunnis as a majority. It was conveniently forgotten by those allowing them uncontrolled growth that the Salafis had no tolerance for dissent and had all but wiped out any dissenting doctrine from areas under their political dominance. General Zia’s active support for this doctrine forced Iran to involve itself to assist the Shiites fight the onslaught on them and this made things more complex. Sectarian killing started in his era as a result of operations by militant organisations he let form and the country has since suffered. While in the past there has been some retaliatory activity by the aggrieved, it is fortunate that they have concluded retaliation to be self-consuming, and in the recent past, sense has prevailed and their reaction has so far remained restrained and civil.

The majority of students from madrassas where the dissident is taught is a heretic and thus deserving death have become the backbone of extremism in Pakistan. When terrorist outfits began operating in this part of the world, these very people sympathised with their activities and offered them political support. When subsequent to the terror attacks on the US, Pakistan started its war on terror, it did not concurrently start the prerequisite of zero tolerance for extremism that was necessary for a successful campaign against terror. The covert political support for terror outfits has, therefore, succeeded in dividing the public reaction to acts of terror, as is evident from the Malala incident where a section of society was made to smell a conspiracy, thus making the reaction weak.

February 22 marked the day when Maulana Haq Nawaz Jhangvi, the founder of the infamous Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), and the ideological godfather of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) — the radical group that has accepted responsibility for the recent killings of the Hazara Shiite minorities in Quetta — was assassinated by suspected Shiite militants in 1990. As the nation mourned the sad events of February 16, 2013, when the Hazaras were attacked yet again in Quetta and more than 90 innocent lives were lost, a twitter post stated, “Ghar ghar Jhangvi utthe ga, Tum jitne Jhangvi maro gay” (A [Haq Nawaz] Jhangvi will emerge from every home, how many Jhangvis will you assassinate?). The twitter message further stated that February 22 was to be remembered as ‘a grand event of the martyrdom’ of Maulana Jhangvi. The message clearly showed that Pakistan’s problem of religious intolerance.

Based on a strict Deobandi interpretation of  Islam, the discourse of the LeJ, i.e. ‘the army of [Maulana] Jhangvi’, revolves largely around the themes of purity and purgation, being especially critical of Shiite views. A central aspect of it is takfir, i.e. declaring members of any Muslim group to be infidels, casting them outside the fold of Islam, and at times, going up to the extent of pronouncing them ‘wajib-ul-qatl’ (deserving of death). This then gets connected to the concept of jihad having become obligatory to put the specific group to death. In June 2011, the LeJ issued a pamphlet against the Hazaras in Balochistan in which all these themes were vividly visible. Words like ‘kafir’ (infidel), ‘naapak’ (impure, unclean) and ‘Pakistan is the land of the pure [only]’ clearly showed the worldview of the LeJ vis-à-vis the Hazara Shiites. The pamphlet announced that the Hazaras would be targeted and killed by the LeJ.

An interesting, and much revealing couplet in a poetic tribute to an anti-Shiite activist published by Sipah-e-Sahaba reads, “He became a devotee of the Companions [of the Prophet (sallallahu alehi wassalam)], and took a ticket to paradise.” In a complex struggle involving religion, history, territory, identity and politics, Pakistan battles against her Frankenstein’s monster of religious intolerance and militancy through largely superficial, negligent and hypocritical measures. Sadly, in a society where tickets to heaven, and hell, are easily available, innocent people will keep on dying at the hands of the violent, self-appointed, soldiers of God. It seems that the monster is here to stay.

The war against terrorism, which is actually the war for preserving the soul of Pakistan, cannot be won unless there is zero tolerance for the cancer of extremism that is consuming us. Doing this requires a catharsis by all institutions that wield power so that mistakes made in the past are identified and corrective action initiated with the single purpose of recreating Jinnah’s vision. The constitution grants to the people freedom of religion under Article 20 (a), which guarantees that “subject to law, public order and morality every citizen shall have the right to profess, practise and propagate his religion”, and guarantees equal protection to all people under Article 25 (1). These rights have only been selectively granted. This has resulted in extremism getting further strengthened. Dialogue between people of differing faiths has been killed and people have been left at the mercy of extremists. The reversal of extremism requires that Articles 20 (a) and 25 (1) are implemented in letter and spirit so that the people learn to live in a world where differing faiths co-exist and form the habit of logical discourse. Under no compulsion should the fundamental rights of citizens of any faith be made hostage to expediency. Additionally, hate speech should be strictly monitored. Giving Takfiri edicts and teaching them at madrassas must be banned and offenders punished. Police has a presence in all settled areas and know fully well the places where such words are spoken. They should be made to do their work and the menace tackled at its source. The security apparatus should be made to understand that extremism is the country’s worst enemy and made to act accordingly. They need to realise there is nothing like a ‘good’ extremist.

It is no more a matter of Pakistan’s image. The survival of the country is at stake. Any delay in implementing the policy of zero tolerance for extremism will cost Pakistan heavily and God forbid may force some to take action that may be suicidal for it.

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Lashkar-e-Jhangvi : Ideology of Intolerance

The extremist ideology of Lashkar-i-Jhangvi and its leading affiliates like TTP is based on, “terror, intolerance and religious fanaticism.” Lashkar-i-Jhangvi belongs to the Deobandi School of thought and its prime targets are the Shi'a community and Iranian interests in Pakistan.
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In a period of less than two months, Hazara community was targeted for the second consecutive time causing massacre of over two hundred people altogether. On January 10, 2013, over hundred innocent Hazaras were killed through two bomb blasts and on February 16, 2013, massacre of another over ninety Harazas was caused through another powerful blast of explosive kept in a water tanker. This is besides the routine target killing of this community at the hands of terrorists in last over a decade. It is estimated that total killing of this community over last one decade has exceeded the figure of 1000, all-inclusive; children, women, old and youth. 

It is pertinent to mention that over 600,000 people of Hazara community consisting of well-read, economically affluent, dedicated and patriotic Pakistanis. They make up bulk of the business community of Quetta in particular and Balochistan in general. Being an educated community, there is a remarkable number of this community among officer corps of armed forces, doctors, engineers and local administration of the province as well as at the national level. The former Commander-in-Chief of Pakistan Army, General Musa Khan was from the same community of patriotic Pakistanis.The community has contributed a lot in the dissemination of basic and higher education in the province; irrespective of the ethno-sectarian factor. They indeed are devoted Pakistani and remain steadfast in the most trying times of the history of Pakistan, once there were disturbances in the province. A vast majority of Hazara community today think that, Hazaras are paying the price of this devotion and loyalty with Pakistan. Indeed, Hazaras maintained unwavering support for the Federation of Pakistan, against the sub-national tendencies and anti-Pakistan activities. This is considered another reason for their genocide. 

The extremist ideology of Lashkar-i-Jhangvi and its leading affiliates like TTP is based on, “terror, intolerance and religious fanaticism.” In contrast, the Hazara community strongly believes on the principles of; human rights, democracy, tolerance, pluralism, inclusiveness, and equal opportunity for all. After two successive events of massacre, the Federal Government has taken some cosmetic measures for the transitory satisfaction of the community. Imposition of Governor Rule to sideline the disgruntled former Chief Minister was one act. Now after second attack, the Provincial Inspector General of Police has also been transferred. Then, reportedly, Punjab Government has also detained the main perpetrator of banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, Malik Mohammad Ishaq. Besides, there have been some arrests and even killings of few terrorists of Lashkar-i-Jhangvi elements in Quetta.

Whereas, Hazaras buried their loved ones after days of protests in extreme weather conditions, these cosmetic and fleeting measures taken by the Government are nothing more than a sand dune or a haystack. The terrorists would find new ways and means to unleash terror as and when they desire. Could Governor Rule save Hazaras from another massacre that a new IGP, a bureaucrat under Governor or CM would do? Nonetheless, there is a requirement of a change in the mindset and adaptation of an apolitical approach. 

The real demand is to find the actual culprit(s), who sponsor this terrorist outfit and encourage such terrorist acts for their political gains. As evidenced by media, many scholars and even Federal Interior Minister, the activities of Lashkar-i-Jhangvi are closely linked with a key political figure in Punjab. With this news being, talk of the town, should there still be logics for not taking actions against such people. Does the Constitution of Pakistan provide any immunity for such people too?

The insecure Hazara community has also demanded the Government for the provision of Army protection, which mean they trust this national and unbiased institution. The Government may have its own reasons to deny them, whereas Army command was all set to secure the lives of Hazaras. In response to some media misreporting, the ISPR has rejected any linkage with any religious or banned outfits. It is therefore, responsibility of political leadership to bring to the justice, those responsible for Hazara massacre and causing a divide among the Muslims of Pakistan for their petty political gains or else aiming to fulfill any peripheral agenda. After having a clear indication of the factors behind the massacres of Hazara, should the Govt still play politics with the grieved and impoverished people, just for political gains? In academia, we are taught that, democracy is the form of government; of the people, for the people and by people. In Pakistan, we have a democracy, but is it really “for the people?”
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By Dr Raja Muhammad Khan

The writer is Islamabad-based IR analyst.


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Hazara Carnage: what kind of a Pakistan do we want?

There was no open condemnation of the terrorist outfit based in south Punjab that has been carrying out a spate of attacks against the Shia community and not only that, openly brag that by ethnic cleaning of the community, they were fulfilling a great religious obligation. Imran Khan did criticise the outfit forcefully and so did Mian Shahbaz Sharif who ordered a police action against its network in the province, thus shrugging of the charge levelled against his party for previously lending verbal support to the outfit. Meanwhile the arrest of a suspect from Lahore with the discovery that it was from here that explosive material was procured offers a crucial clue which will should help the investigation process.
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Repeated mass killings in terrorist attacks have left the nation in total disarray—non-stop chatter Interior Minister Rehman Malik is no different. On Wednesday, Rehman Malik put up a flimsy defense in the Senate to his failure against the security lapses that gave vent to terrorism particularly in Balochistan and in other provinces, saying that the real ire of terrorist attacks should be chief ministers because law and order was responsibility of provincial governments under the 18th Amendment. If that is the case why is he poking his nose in the provincial affairs? A question many need to ask. Anyhow, he went on to say that ‘instead of criticizing him summon all the four chief ministers and ask them what’s going on why didn’t they act on the intelligence shared by the federation. Perhaps in the heat of the moment he forgot that the province of Balochistan is governed by the governor not by a chief minister hence the responsibility for provision of security to life and property rests on the federal government. ‘Knowledgeable’ Malik, sharing his ‘valuable intelligence’ with the Senate says there exists a nexus among Al-Qaeda, LeJ and Balochistan Liberation Army and Sipah-e-Sahaba and Jaish-e-Muhammad and are also involved in terrorism, and added that he provided a list of 3117 suspected terrorists, of which, 31 operatives of Lahore-based LeJ, had recently been arrested in Karachi. Even worst followed in his rhetoric that the Punjab houses hubs of terrorists and warned of direct intervention if the provincial government failed to eliminate the terrorists. The menace of terror continued throughout the term of the incumbent government, express Interior Minister should also tell the people despite inability of the provincial governments for nearly five years, what he is waiting for why the issue has not dealt forthwith. Perhaps, Malik is waiting for tomorrow that never comes.

Like him, the ISI too attempted to absolve itself in a report submitted to the Supreme Court of Pakistan of intelligence debacle that resulted systematic cleansing of Hazaras. The worst part is the two—the ISI and Malik—have pointed the fingers at the Punjab—a relatively safe province to live—of having some linkage with the banned outfits. Secondly, the reports say that explosives were purchased and transported from Lahore to Quetta to carry out Hazaras’ massacres. Indeed, there is no mechanism in place to check dealings of chemicals in the province. Earlier, a call for placing bar on the sale of chemicals and material being used in explosive-making was heard from Afghanistan and now it is coming from within the country.

The Punjab Chief Minister, who had managed the province relatively better, must not take the finger pointing easy rather should launch a hot pursuit against the terrorist hubs operating in the province if there is any. Even serious are the reports of Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah’s suspected association with the LeJ operative Malik Ishaq and others—a charge that Rana denies. Yet the reports had been in the air for quite some time that he had been active to bring some extremists from South Punjab, willing to surrender militancy, into mainstream politics. Whatever the role he had played in South Punjab does underscore a need for immediate scrutiny at the highest level.

Over 44 percent of country’s religious schools, said to be breeding extremism, are working in South Punjab which may have formed the basis for the Interior Minister to belief that out of 1,764 persons associated with the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Jaish-e-Muhammad, 726 belonged to South Punjab. Again he knows yet he failed to move the authorities concerned to introduce uniform syllabus under a watchful regulatory authority. Agree or not, the fact is the federal and provincial governments, though claim to have been fighting out terrorism, have failed to do enough to stem extremism. Now the internal situation has become extremely critical rather the country is at the crossroads. Much-wanted decisions to save Pakistan should have come much earlier. Alas! Lack of political will to transform the country is hurting today. The incumbent government has, for sure, failed to prioritize the issues confronting the nation hence Rehman Malik seems engaged in fighting a lost case for the rulers since the role of the Interior Ministry sounds of a post office sending and receiving the dispatches, having no say in the Administrative hierarchy at any level. Now term of the government is going to expire in less than a month time thus the government is left with no time to deliver at any front. If they hope for tomorrow it never comes.
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Targeting the Hazaras community

Unfortunately, this act of terrorism against the Shias of Pakistan has been going on for almost two decades now. These acts actually are an important part of Pakistan’s domestic policy by its military. These are not random acts but are totally planned killings and genocide of the Shias by Lashker e Jhangvi in the name of Jihad.
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Since the advent of 2013, Hazaras of Quetta have been targeted with impunity, being killed mercilessly as if their lives were of no consequence. Prior to 2013, too the Hazara community has been hunted down, being off loaded from passenger buses and vehicles and slaughtered like animals. The January 10 massacre resulted in the death of over 100 innocent victims but instead of expressing sympathy for their loss, the Balochistan provincial government displayed callousness and apathy towards the families of the victims. Even the federal government, took its time to respond; it remained oblivious to the plight of the Hazaras, who weathered rain and sub-zero temperatures, waiting patiently with the mortal remains of their loved ones, refusing to bury them till punitive action was taken against the provincial government, which had failed to provide them security.

It was only when international pressure was borne upon them, foreign media flashed the heart rending images of infants, women and old persons maintaining their vigil with the coffins of their beloveds in the inclement weather and demonstrations by human rights activists in various capitals of the world that the Prime Minister of Pakistan decided to visit Quetta and appease the Hazaras. The dissolution of the inept and ineffective Balochistan Provincial Assembly was a foregone conclusion but once it came into effect, the reaction of the now defunct parliamentarians was quite to the contrary. The former legislators, who had displayed indifference towards the killing of Hazaras, suddenly became united to demonstrate and protest towards the dissolution of the Provincial Government and the imposition of Governor’s Rule. They found a sizable number of supporters in the federal government too, who raged fire and brimstone at their removal from power. Unfortunately, it appears that the decision to hand over the control of Balochistan to the Governor was not a result of a well thought out strategy and no plan was put into place to restore law and order in the strife-torn province, which appears to have become a hotbed for conspiracies and the enemies of Pakistan to use its soil and people for destabilizing the country.

Only forty days later an equally devastating bomb attack targeted the patriotic, peaceful and law abiding Hazara community of Quetta city. It would have appeared that the law enforcing agencies now operating under the direct control of the Governor and the Federal Government, would have learnt a few lessons from the January incident but alas again 90 innocent Hazaras paid the price with their lives. This time around, reportedly, the massive bomb explosion was caused by a large amount of incendiary material being hidden in a large sized water container tied to a trailer. It is contrary to reason that the law enforcing agencies failed to detect and preempt the dastardly attack, which took such a heavy toll of lives.

Once again the peaceful Hazara Community had no option but to silently protest the brutal attack by refusing to bury their dead till the perpetrators of the heinous crime were brought to the book and the state provided them protection. One of their major demands was that the Army should be called in to maintain law and order. The entire country saw peaceful demonstrations and ultimately, the Hazaras were convinced to bury their dead with the dignity that they deserved. The problem however persists.

One needs to examine, who are the real detractors of peace and harmony in the province. The banned but deadly Lashkar-e-Jhangvi , which has claimed responsibility for both the attacks, are sworn enemies of the Shias and have found a soft target in the Hazaras thus they target them with impunity. The question is who is motivating the kilers? Perhaps some clue can be found in the element that sometime back, the Punjabi settlers in Balochistan were being targeted and killed. At that time, the assailants were cracked down upon with full force and the attacks stopped. The second clue lies in the fact that the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi belong to the province of Punjab. Reportedly, they have had close liaisons with the current Ministry of Interior in the Punjab Province. Is it too much of a coincidence that the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is targeting Shias and other soft targets with full liberty in Balochistan, Karachi as well as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but sparing their home province in Punjab?

  Perhaps the answer lies here.

On the other hand, the Hazaras’ demand of handing over Quetta to the Army has been brushed aside. Desperate times call for desperate measures but the Army is the last resort and calling it would indicate that all options have been exhausted. Taking a cue, a number of TV anchors and analysts are busy besmirching the good name of the army and holding it responsible for the killings implying that it wants to take over the control of Quetta. These charges lack conviction because cleaning the Augean’ Stables of the turmoil in Balochistan province and its capital Quetta would necessitate a Herculean effort. The Pakistan Army already has its hands full in combating terrorism and conducting the war on terror in Swat, Waziristan and the Tribal Agencies. It also has to maintain vigil at the Line of Control, which has been heating up because of Indian belligerence and bellicosity. It is but obvious that the Army is so deeply embroiled in executing the tasks assigned to it by the Government to defend Pakistan from the external as well as internal enemies, that it would not dream of upsetting the applecart of democracy and usurp power of the country what to say of Balochistan or Quetta. Pakistan Army has already sacrificed enough of its manpower and physical assets in the war on terror and continues to mount vigil and defend the citadel of Pakistan that it merits the moral support of every patriotic Pakistani rather than dragging its name in mud.

As far as the question of targeting the Hazaras and other innocent Pakistanis by demonic miscreants is concerned, it is the duty of the intelligentsia to expose the real perpetrators of the crime so that the killing fields must stop. The need of the hour is to pay full attention to the peril of terror attacks, mount extreme vigilance and pool resources of every citizen, media and the law enforcing agencies to ensure that terror does not prevail.
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By Sultan M Hali

The author, a retired PAF Group Captain, served as Air & Naval attaché at Riyadh and is currently a columnist, analyst and TV talk show host. 

Lashker Jhangvi Who are they?

Who does not know that the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is killing Shias? This criminal fundamentalist outfit was created during Zia’s rule allegedy under the agencies’ patronag? How can we be sure that it does not continue to be supported by some elements?
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Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), a ''Sunni''-Deobandi terrorist outfit was formed in 1996 by a break away group of radical sectarian extremists of the Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), a ''Sunni'' extremist outfit, which accused the parent organisation of deviating from the ideals of its slain co- founder, Maulana Haq Nawaz Jhangvi. It is from Maulana Jhangvi that the LeJ derives its name. It was formed under the leadership of Akram Lahori and Riaz Basra. The LeJ is one of the two sectarian terrorist outfits proscribed on August 14, 2001, by former President Pervez Musharraf.

The LeJ aims to transform Pakistan into a ''Sunni'' state, primarily through violent means. The Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is part of the broader Deoband movement.

Let us for once admit it openly that amongst South Asian nations Pakistan is an oddity as far as sectarian and religious violence is concerned.  Every once in a while we read in the Internet or in the print media news that describe in nauseating details the account of a carnage in which Muslim minorities, most likely Shiites, are killed in cold blood.    

It is quite clear that the minority Shiites in Pakistan are paying the price of Jihadism with their blood.  The Deobandi Doctrine, which emanates from strict Wahhabi teachings, is fueling the fire of a puritanical movement.  Therefore, some ''Sunni'' men are hell-bent on wiping the Shiites in Pakistan.  In one sense, it is a puritanical movement to wipe out Sufism (Folk Islam), Shiites, and other minor offshoots of Islam from South Asian nations.  The Deobandi Mullahs have spawned a Wahhabi revivalism in South Asia, which dates back to 1940s.  The Tablig Al-Jamaat, which organizes marathon-preaching session in the dry winter season during December through February calling it Ijtema (congregation), is asking the faithfuls to revert to the teachings of Islam’s holy book.  It shuns the ‘Folk Islam,’ which had borrowed heavily from other religions and folklore of Persia, India, etc.  The most ordinary Muslims of South Asia were never perturbed by the presence of myriads of Sufi shrines those dot the rural landscape starting from Sind in the West where they are called Mazars of Kalandars to Eastern part of Bangladesh where they are called Dargah of Awlias.  The Deobandi teachings would like to annihilate the Dargah or Mazar cultures of South Asia.  This monolithic view of Deobandi (read Wahhabi Islam) is in clash with South Asia’s ‘Folk Islam.’  Thus, the killing of 90 plus innocent Hazara community in Quetta is a chilling reminder that things could go out of hand if Wahhabi Doctrine is allowed to flourish in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India.  

The problem is not that difficult to comprehend. The culprits have been admitting their claim of killing Hazara Shias and are living among us freely. Malik Ishaq, the leader of the LeJ, moves around without fear of retribution. Those who say that Quetta should be handed over to the military are perhaps naive enough not to know that it is already the military calling the shots there through the Frontier Corps (FC). Nothing, not even a leaf can stir without the consent of the military in Balochistan. The FC having been given police powers after Governor’s rule was imposed, has clearly failed to deliver anything positive. This is the very force responsible for the brutal elimination of nationalists in the province; an accusation proved beyond an iota of doubt by even the SC. This being the lay of the land, why is the military not taking the onus? Why is it silent, seeing the government taking all the heat of the protest staged across the country over the repeated killing of Hazara Shias in Quetta? Even if the entire police force were removed, as the Inspector General of Balochistan is replaced along with other officers, Quetta would still reverberate with death tolls, because of trying to solve the problem in the wrong way. It is tantamount to helping the FC evade its responsibilities. The removal of the incompetent previous government of Balochistan after the Alamdar Road massacre last month has brought little if any change in the government’s inability to control the deteriorating situation in Quetta. The dark night has already descended on the Hazara. The message could not have been clearer. Eight hundred kilograms of explosive was used, making Saturday’s bombing the biggest attack in Quetta’s history. If this is not enough, what are we waiting for before getting down to the business of purging this country of the jihadi monsters we used in yesteryears as proxies?

Does this view surprise anyone that Pakistan has become an extremely violent nation where throwing hand grenades, bombs, suicide bombing, etc., a routine affair? The government does not perform a thorough investigation to figure out who are behind the sectarian violence.  The former president of Pakistan, General Musharraf, is used to the news of these kinds of jihadi activities in Pakistan.  The Islamists also tried to kill Musharraf during 2003-2004.  After hearing the news of the blast, Musharraf expressed “shock and profound grief” and ordered an inquiry to track down the killers.  However, if past is any clue, the investigation will not unearth who are behind the sectarian violence.  The planners of the suicide bombing will again receive impunity as before.  It seems as if Pakistan is paying heavily for Islamization brought on by Gen. Zia ul-Haq in late 1970s and early 1990s.    

Suicide bombing has become a controversial subject in Pakistan.  The archconservative Mullahs who are devotees of Wahhabi Islam condone killing of deviant minority sects all in the name of jihad against impure Islam.  The same bunch won’t mind blasting of Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Murtads (apostates), etc.  However, a group of senior Pakistani Muslim clerics  declared suicide bombings and attacks on ordinary citizens and places of worship as un-Islamic.  Perhaps the government to make such characterization of suicide bombings goaded these clerics to offer their fatwa or religious edicts.  The practice of suicide bombing became very popular in certain places in Islamic world.  The late president of Palestine, Yasser Arafat, condoned suicide bombing as he launched Intifada II Movement in early 2000s.   

The Saturday attack on Hazara Town in Quetta is another sign of the failure and inefficiency of the agencies and the provincial as well as federal government. The murder of 90 plus innocent Hazara community people and wounding of almost two hundred for which LeJ has claimed responsibility despite the fact that Balochistan was under governor’s rule is a clear message of incompetence and negligence. Within something like a month the Hazaras of Quetta have lost over 200 members of their community. We all remember the heart breaking sights of them sitting in the streets with the bodies of their unburied loved ones in the arms demanding security of life for peaceful citizen. Only a couple of weeks later the same thing has happened again and more people died. Now we will be facing the same situation with the bodies of the slain displayed in the streets of Quetta.

And what is the government doing? Instead of taking action to tackle the Balochistan crisis president of Pakistan was found doing business as usual and demanding on Sunday that Israel should not construct any new settlements in the Palestinian territory - so much for responsibility for a province under governor’s rule. That is why frustrated and frightened Hazaras and the TNFJ are demanding the imposition of army’s rule in Quetta - a logical conclusion in the absence of civilian rule and state power. Army’s rule and the implementation of martial law and martial law courts seem to be the only alternative to a failing and self-indulgent government. Ore of this kind of ‘democracy’ is unacceptable not only to Hazaras but to Pakistanis at large.

Who can know how best to handle its creation than the creator? It is the military, and none else, who can suppress this jihadi phenomenon. Thanks to our negligence or complacency, the extremists are equipped with the latest weaponry. The silence in certain quarters is feeding into the conspiracy theory that things are being allowed deliberately to deteriorate. Are we into some sort of systematic eradication of minorities in the country, more so Shias? This is what the killing of Shias in Karachi and Lahore too depicts. As far as Balochistan is concerned, the military establishment first, and then the government, owes an explanation to the people of the country.

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