Time for Shias to leave Pakistan
It is a massacre alright. Sunni extremists, aligned with Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, are killing Shias by the dozens in Pakistan.
I was yet to compile the list of the 106 (mostly Shias) killed in the twin bomb blasts in Quetta last month, that the news of another bomb blast killing yet another 84 (mostly Shias) in Quetta came over the wire. As the Shia massacres in Pakistan gain momentum, the State, including the Superior Courts, appear completely impotent.
In such troubling times some Shias may have a choice. They may sit and wait for a messiah or relocate to a Shia-exclusive enclave elsewhere, or to escape from Pakistan altogether. It may sound harsh, but it is an inescapable truth that Pakistan has been run over by the extremists and life is going to be even tougher for the minorities and moderate Sunnis in the near future.
In the two consecutive months this year, bomb blasts have killed hundreds of Shia Hazaras in Quetta, a Garrison town where each and every street is manned by intelligence operatives. Still, the militants operate with impunity. Saturday’s bomb blast, which has killed over 80 and injured hundreds, occurred almost within a month of the last bomb blast that delivered even a higher death toll.
Space is fast running out in Shia graveyards in Quetta. It may be the time for Shias to relocate to protect their next generation.
Many naively believe that peace will prevail in Pakistan and Afghanistan after the scheduled withdrawal of Nato troops from Afghanistan in 2014. While I vehemently oppose prolonging the stay of the Nato forces in the region, still I believe this would spell even a bigger disaster for the minorities in Pakistan. The battle-hardened veterans of the Afghan war will return to Pakistan to target Shias, Ahmadis, and other religious minorities. Even Barelvis may not escape the wrath of the mostly Deobandi-led militancy.
There are reasons for my pessimism. I saw the same happen in the late nineties when the Afghan war veterans were pushed into Indian-administered Kashmir. The resulting militancy left over 70,000 dead in Kashmir but failed to make any tangible progress towards the resolution of the dispute that has pitched India, Pakistan, and Kashmiris in a deadly decades old conflict.
What looked like a gory beginning of a new millennium in Indian-administered Kashmir, the security landscape however suddenly transformed in 2002 when the militants started to relocate to Pakistan and Afghanistan to join the Pashtun Taliban. The result was a decline in militancy which is evident from the graph below that shows the drop in the number of news reports about militancy in Srinagar starting after 2002.
Source: Tabulations by the author using the Factiva (2013) database.
A spike in militancy in Pakistan however is observed at the same time when militancy subsided in Indian-administered Kashmir. See the graph below that documents the number of civilians and security force personnel who became victims of terrorist violence in Pakistan. Since 2003, Pakistan has been the target of terrorism orchestrated by the very agents who once afforded the state its strategic depth.
Source: http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/pakistan/database/casualties.htm (Feb. 15, 2013).
Shias and other religious minorities are the most targeted in Pakistan. No city is safe anymore. The past few weeks saw the targeted killing of Shia lawyers, doctors, and other professionals in Peshawar. Shia legislators were shot dead in Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi. While the State is struggling to suppress violence against Shias, the deep-rooted support for militants in society and the inadequate judicial system in Pakistan has created the situation where hardly any terrorist has been convicted of sectarian or other terrorism in Pakistan. In the past few years, several known militants have been set free by the courts because of the archaic judicial system that is incapable of convicting those involved in the modern-day guerilla warfare.
Some, not all, Shias have a choice. They can abandon the death traps in Quetta and Peshawar by relocating to the Shia majority areas in Karachi, Lahore, and other cities. A better option is to plead with the embassies in Islamabad for asylum for the Shia, especially the Hazara, youth.
Seeking asylum abroad may not win the approval of Pakistan’s superior courts, who have recently mocked those who held dual citizenship. However, it is better to be alive in exile than to be splattered on a wall in Pakistan.
Murtaza Haider, Ph.D. is the Associate Dean of research and graduate programs at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University in Toronto. He can be reached by email at murtaza.haider@ryerson.ca
The views expressed by this blogger and in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
I think we should not be afraid of these handful of terrorist and unite among ourselves to eradicate terrorism and militancy from our country. Army is bopth part of problem as well as solution. If it vowed to eradicate terrorism and special military courts be set up to try terrorist, the problem can be addressed. Some countries have bleaker situation than Pakistan, as Itlay, Mexico etc but their institutions came out of slumber and saved their country. No wonder why we cannot do it now. The problem is not only of shia, as if we loose the writ of state our country would become jungle and unliveable for all except small minority.
Sajjad.
Even The Quaid e Azam should spritually leave Pakistan; as very soon these terrorists wont even spare him. I have left Pakistan and my heart cries for my people, we dont even have sympathies of our sunni brothers whom I consider my brother and thats something which hurts me even more. We are better of being exlied..
Very sad happening once again. It should not have happened and nothing like this should happen.
I am not justifying or arguing against the ill feelings of those who suffered, but why we are pointing fingers at the whole nation? Those who die in other parts of the country are also human beings and Pakistanis, rather them be sunnis or whatever. Why we forget the fact that we are all one nation? If anyone is harmed, we should look at it with one opinion.
By the way, the author sitting in a comfortable chair in a foreign land has forgotten that those who struggled for Pakistan were Muslims. They never thought about being of one sect or the other. With your kind articles and the foreign involvements, the country is heading towards a state very similar to Iraq/Libya.
Pakistani nation should decide their destiny. Stand unite and fight the hidden enemy within themselves or follow such articles and become the next Iraq/Libya.
Wherever you go you will still be called a “bloody Paki” and nothing else.
Please do not associate the word muslim with these butchers. Too late however, as I am forever defending my faith when asked about Islam/Pakistan from non muslims. I am I fear in a losing battle.
May be time to divide Pakistan into 2 countries.
One for Sunnis and the second for shias
Why are Indians so obsessed with Pakistan? Did we really hurt your ego that bad in 1947?
Mr. Haider i respect your opinion that shias are facing troubles by the hands of extremists or non state actors. But it is a not good of you if the people like you respond like this in the situation. it is not a solution that shias should ask for asylum in the other countries. I also deny from you that any particular group is targeting like sunnis targeting them. you better know that what has been happening in pakistan; so in my point of view humans are humans and they should be treated as the same
how ill is your thinking mr. haider, shia are the followers of Mola Ali who never retreat from battlefield than how can your with tears of crocodile suggest for an asylum in foreign country. Pakistan is our land and no one can take it from us and we will stay here till the last drop of our blood as the world rule is there that when a thief attacks your home you never fled away instead hits back. I think you have got this thinking from USA where not only get your bread but mantle feed as well. keep this cheep thoughts with yourself ok
Murtaza Bhai, you are right but I am not totally agree with you. your view is one sided. you voiced only for Shias. you blamed only Deobandis for killings. but in actual in bomb blasts, in target killings and in other ancidents mostly Deobandis are killed. your view can pravail hate in Shias against Deobandis. you should not give such views that will create differences b/w Shia and Sunni
sir im agree with your thinking but we saw a foot print of this extremism who give them budge for killing of our brother shia community first the Taliban grow up in Pakistan with support of Saudi Arabia US and GC country using for against soviet union
Ever Heard of shia sunni clashes in india… ever heard of a man called jinnah promising something….
Author is actually a loser and if he is writing about Muslims who have been associated with Hassan R.A and Hussain R.A, they even in Karbala havent given up. Showing graphs and writing impressive speech won’t let “real” men to leave Pakistan.. You stay in exile in a western country, and goodluck to you with your worldly desirous life!
This was bound to happen sooner or later. In the war against terror, the Shias decided to join teams with the visiting forces aganist targetting majority of sunnis in Afghanist and Iraq. The shia president of Syria also decided to bombard his sunni countrymen which has reached a figure of over 40,000 civillian deaths, including women and children. Indeed a genocyde happened in those countries. When muslims join forces against non-muslims to attack their brothers, then they remain brothers no more and become enemies. Because for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Also recently some shias have been posting on facebook bad words against the most beloved sahabas of the Prophet (saw) and ummul momineen. I strongly suggest that shia community shuld stop using hate speech against them and also stop joining non-muslims against their brothers. So that shia and sunni can reunite peacefully.
This was going to happen one day or the other. The Shias in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria decided to join the war against terror against the Sunni’s. And Genocyde did happen in those countries. Maybe people forget that for every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction. Recently I have seen some people writing bad things on facebook about the most beloved Sahabas of the Prophet (saw). This is yet another excuse for the militants to retaliate. I strongly suggest that Shia people should stop using hate talks against the sahabas and ummul momineen, and also stop joining other people in war against the muslims. For Shia / Sunnis to reunite peacefully.
“Pakistan has been the target of terrorism orchestrated by the very agents who once afforded the state its strategic depth.” Dear Mr.Murtaza Haider, Ph.D. , the Associate Dean, I like this statement very much.
Probably Pak as a country has to give up idea of state religion. Only then there will be equal treatment of all people in front of law — whether Sunnis, Shias, or Ahmadiyas, or Hindus, Christians or Sikhs. The moment state identifies with a particular religion there will be peole claiming to be the purest even within the religion. On the other hand when there is no preference by state, the quest to prove onself to be superior than others will end and everyone will be equal.
Are you nuts? Why should they leave? This is a wrong message to send. We all need to stand up and fight and drive these killer out. I can’t believe the author even suggesting contacting embassies. Why leave our own country to get abused in foreign land?