Pakistani Shias receive death threat text messages
The image shows a person using a mobile phone. — File photo
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Shias, targeted in three explosions which killed at least 23 people on Wednesday, are now receiving death threat text messages on cellphones ahead of a key event in their religious calendar that has been tainted by violence in the past.
“Kill, Kill, Shias,” say the text warnings to members of the minority sect.
Hardline militant groups linked to al Qaeda have in recent months stepped up attacks against Pakistan’s Shias, whom they regard as non-Muslims.
Pakistan’s Taliban claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s violence and said it would stage more attacks on Shias over the next few days.
More than 300 Shias have been killed in Pakistan so far this year in sectarian conflict, according to human rights groups.
“Genocide against Shias is already taking place in Pakistan so the text messages don’t really matter that much,” said Jalal Haider, who received a text threat.
About 50,000 people are expected to march through the streets of Islamabad on Saturday and thousands of security personnel are expected to be deployed in a bid to avoid attacks.
Any large-scale sectarian violence could hurt Pakistan’s efforts to show it has improved security as it hosts the leaders of eight developing countries at a summit in Islamabad.
Pakistani intelligence officials say extremist groups, led by Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, or LeJ, have escalated their bombings and shootings of Shias to trigger violence that would pave the way for a Sunni theocracy in US-allied Pakistan.
It is much more important for PTA to ask the mobile companies to do something about threatning text messages being sent to the people of pakistan. Instead of giving importance to stop people talking to each other at night. Warped thinking.
After all the hate and intolerance that we preach week after week, this is the only possible outcome. It will only get worse from here.
And we wonder why foreign dignitaries and investors avoid Pakistan.Thank you Retd. Gen. Hamed Gul.
we need army to back our all processions…..the government is just good for nothing…. they (Talibans) might kill hussainiss but they cant kill THE HUSSAINIAT ……
How can Islam allow this?
Does any criminal ever seek permission to committ a crime? All they have done is, taken away the letter ” I ” from the word Islam and are slamming every one who thinks and behaves different from them.
Why was the Lej leader released from prison last year when it was known that he will cause such menace. It was reported in many newspapers that he has been propagating against Shias then why was he released in the first place? Looks like a conspiracy to me. Attacks on Shias and Hazaras have increased since last year and the authorities KNOW who the culprit is. May Allah help us all.
Nobody mentioned his/her sect in a form they filled while getting a cell phone SIM/number. As I remember Interior minister warned about monitoring on SMS so they should have the capabilities to trace a SMS sender and who and how many received and forwarded SMS to others. So PTA or cellular company definitely has track of SMS (religious SMS) and they can identify the cell numbers of specific sect by applying filters on specific words
As far as I know that govt. agencies have the equipment for tracking the message source so they can trace them easily as they did in past in different part of the country.
There is a question that who shared that with info?
1. Cellular company shared that info with militants? Or
2. Cellular company shared that info with Govt. agencies and someone from there shared that info with militant? Or
3. A militant has access / approach in cellular company’s or govt. agencies/data?
I am shaking my head as I read this. How can people be so angry with other people for seeing a different meaning in a book they too follow as the rough guide to life.
Why Cant Police Arrest the Senders of these Text Messages , where are the Law enforcement agencies ??? Trace the source of these messages and arrest these persons
What a country.What kind of people.
Horrible.
you can kill the people but you cannot kill their ideology … Hussaniat is a way of life … for every one killed two more will rise Inshallah
“Kill, Kill, Shias,” say the text warnings to members of the minority sect.
.
Sent by teenagers and boys in their 20s up to mischief, nothing more. The people we have to worry about are the ones who don’t give a us a warning.
Yes, but still shows the hate filled hearts of these teenagers. What will they do to Shias when they grow up. Pakistan has been Talibanized and there is no hope for Shias and other minorities here.
Mate ,
I love your comments. there is a lot of sanity in your comments. Not sure where your are from but whichever GOD u pray , be blessed by him/her.