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Ruquiya Hashmi, a doctor and a former soldier, faces a double challenge -- as well as being Hazara she is also the first woman to stand in Quetta for the national assembly. For the past few days she has had threatening phone calls and letters sent to her offices. She is running for Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q), an ally of the outgoing government, but she is determined to stand up to the extremists. In the city that has become the epicentre for record sectarian bloodshed in Pakistan, Shia candidates are braving death threats to make themselves heard in Saturday's election. - Photos and text by Agencies
