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Persecution of Hazaras in Quetta

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A boy, in Bamyan, holding placard against the Hazara genocide in Quetta.
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The Hazara minority in Quetta, in Balochistan province of Pakistan, is reported to be the victim of persecution and violence. According to some reports, at least 800 Hazara men, women and children have lost their lives and more than 1500 have been injured in Quetta in recent years.[1][2] The Pakistani Sunni Muslim extremist militant group, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, is assumed to be behind the deadly attacks against Hazaras.[3][4]

Hazaras have been living in Pakistan since the 19th century, when they fled to British India from Hazarajat, the central highland region of Afghanistan, due to persecution by Emir Abdul Rahman Khan. The Hazaras are mainly Shiite Muslims in Sunni dominated Pakistan and are easily identifiable due to their Mongoloid features.[5] Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan has described the persecution of Hazaras as "Planned genocide".[6] .

Perpetrators

It is widely assumed that the Al-Qaeda affiliated and state sponsored Pakistani Sunni Muslim extremist militant group, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), is behind these attacks.[4][7] The LeJ openly issues death threats to Hazaras through newspaper ads and describes them as wajib-ul-qatl (deserving of death).[5] Many Hazaras believe that the perpetrators cannot possibly be operating independently. Another theory suggests the involvement of Taliban, whoes leadership council known as the Quetta Shura is established and operates in the city of Quetta.[8] LeJ is believed to be one of many Pakistani terrorist groups which fought for Taliban against the United Front in Afghanistan in the 1990s. It is also suggested that the country's security establishment might be trying to provoke the Hazara against other ethnic groups in the province[9][10][11] as most of the terrorist organizations in Pakistan are allegedly supported by the country's military establishment.[12][13] Asian Human Rights Commission reported in January 2012 that the Pakistan army had created a militant organization to kill intellectuals, activists and Hazaras in Balochistan.[14] The Pakistani Army and its intelligence wing, the ISI, have accused foreign interference in Balochistan's affairs,[15] without directly responding to allegations against themselves for allowing the banned terrorist organizations to operate freely and with complete impunity.[16][17][18][19]

Timeline of attacks

Following is an incomplete list of terrorist attacks against Shia Hazara community in Quetta.

2001

February 9: Six passengers were shot dead and five severely wounded when they were traveling in a van en-route from Hazara Town to Alamdar road. Later, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed responsibility for the attack.[20][21]

2003

June 8: Twelve police cadets were killed when two assailants opened fire on their vehicle. The attack occurred on Saryab Road and left nine others injured.[22][23]

July 4: Further information 2003 Quetta mosque bombing

Fifty five people were killed and over 150 were injured in an attack on worshipers during Friday Prayers on Mekongi road Quetta.[24][25][26]

2004

March 2: Further information 2004 Quetta Ashura massacre

Forty-two people were killed and at least 150 injured on the day of Ashura. After an explosion, the terrorists opened fire on the procession.[27][28]

2007

January 10: Agha Ghulam Ali, aged 25, owner of the famous fruit juice outlet in Pakistan, was shot dead by LeJ terrorists. His father Agha Abbas Ali had also been murdered by the same Sunni Muslim terrorist organization in May 2002.[29]

2009

January 26: Hussain Ali Yousafi, chairman of the Hazara Democratic Party, was assassinated.[30]

2010

Some 100 people from the Hazara minority lost their lives in targeted killings in 2010. Many more were wounded.[31][dubious – discuss]

February 13: Armed men shot dead a Hazara young man and injured another on Quetta-Karachi national highway near Manghucar area of Kalat district. Mehmud Ali and Mohammad Yusuf were heading towards Karachi from Quetta in a rented car. When they reached Manguchar area of Kalat district, the car took a brief stop near a hotel. As the two got out of the car, armed men opened fire at them, killing Mehmud on the spot and wounding Yusuf critically.

March 18: In Hazar Ganji area of Quetta, armed men shot dead Shabbir Hussain S/o Haji Faqeer Hussain while he was busy working in his shop.

March 20: Six Hazaras came under terrorist attack in Quetta at 11:15. Muhammad Ali son of Ghulam Raza, Ghulam Raza son of Khuda Bakhsh, Ramzan Ali son of Nouroz Ali were killed on the spot and three others Ali Baba, Ali Raza son of Ismatullah, Muhammad Ali son of Yousuf Ali were critically injured in Hazar Ganji area of Quetta. These men fruit sellers. A 13 years old boy was also wonded in the incident.

May 23: A Hazara youth, Ali Murtaza son of Haji Mohammad Hussain was shot dead on Sirki road, Quetta.

May 24: A pre-planned suicide attack struck on Airport road, Quetta at about 19:30 hours, leaving two innocent people dead and 17 others wounded.

June 19: Two young brothers, Hasnain and Shuja'at were target killed and their cousin was injured when gunmen opened fire at their vehicle near Islamia Girls College when it slowed down at a speed breaker.

September 3: Further information September 2010 Quetta bombing

At least 73 people[32] were killed and 160 injured when a bomb exploded during a rally.[33][34]

September 28: Terrorists opened fire on a vehicle carrying four Hazara grocers in Hazar Ganji area of Quetta at 11:00am, killing two of them on the spot and injuring two others. The grocers were returning home from Hazar Ganji vegetable market.

September 28: A kidnapped Hazara trader, Mohammad Ali, was killed eventhough the ransom had been paid. His mutilated body was found in Killi Qambrani area of Quetta.

October 28: In yet another kidnapping-turned-targeted killing incident, four more members of Hazara community were shot dead in Quetta. The victims were Haji Ali Akbar, his son Samad Ali, their employee Abid and bodyguard Jaffar Abbas.

November 11: A local businessman named Haji Idrees was abducted while his bodyguard Mohammad Ali was shot dead on Toghi road, Quetta.

December 14: Four Hazaras, including a 4 year old boy, were shot dead on Arbab Karam Khan road, Quetta.

2011

May 6: Further information 2011 Hazara Town shooting

Eight died and fifteen were wounded in the early morning when armed men fired rockets at Hazara people playing outside in an open field. Children were also among the victims.[35] [clarification needed]

May 18: The persecution of Hazaras continues unabated as eight innocent vegetable vendors were target killed in Goharabad area Sariab road, Quetta.

May 29: Muhammad Musa and Ishaq Ali – two Hazara policemen became the victims of continuous targeted-killings. The tragedy occurred on Spini road, Quetta.

June 11: A Hazara youth lost his precious life in Nawa Killi area of Quetta. He was a government employee and returning home from his duty when assaulted with fire arms. 20 bullets had pierced into his body killing him on the spot.

June 16: Abrar Hussain, the Pakistani Olympian boxer and Chairman Balochistan Sports Board[36] was assassinated near Ayub National Stadium in Quetta.[37][38][39]

June 22: Terrorists assaulted a passenger bus killing two people on the spot while injuring 10 others. According to reliable sources, the passenger bus carrying pilgrims arrived in Killi Sardar area of Quetta in Akhtarabad Sariab road, three gunmen started indiscriminate firing on the vehicle from the rooftop of nearby houses which continued for 10 minutes. The two passengers killed on the spot were identified as Abdul Hussain S/O Khuda Rahim of Hazara Town Quetta and Rahim Shah Nasar S/O Adam Khan, resident of Loralai while.

July 30: Terrorists perpetrated yet another attack against Hazara people claiming the lives of 11 people including women. The incident occurred in broad daylight, when a pick-up Suzuki van on its way from Hazara Town to Alamdar Road, came under intense fire by terrorists on Spini road. Three passengers were critically injured in the attack.

July 10: Two Hazaras became victims of relentless campaign of ecthnic cleansing in Quetta on Sunday, 10 July 2011.

Aug 30: The massacre of Hazaras continues unabated as 15 vegetable sellers became the latest victims of terrorists in Quetta. A local bus carrying about 30 Hazara passengers was heading towards Hazar Ganji vegetable market, when terrorists stopped the vehicle in Akhtarabad area, pulled the passengers off the bus, lined them up on the side of the road and fired at them killing 15 and wounding 7 others.

August 31: Thirteen died and twenty-two were wounded when a suicide bomber blew himself up in the morning of Eid near Hazara Eid Gah. Four women and two children were also among the dead.[40]

September 20: Further information Mastung massacre

A bus carrying pilgrims to Taftan was stopped in Mastung near Quetta, after identifying Hazara passengers they were massacred leaving 26 dead. Three more were shot dead when they were on their way to collect the bodies.[41]

September 23: Five more Shia Hazara were casualties in an attack when unidentified gunmen opened fire on a van.[42]

October 4: Thirteen Hazara vegetable vendors were among the fourteen victims when unidentified gunmen targeted a van in Quetta.[43][44] Sep 14th: Pakistani Frontier Corp (FC) force kills a 13-year old Hazara boy protesting against Hazara genocide - Sept 13, 2012 13-year old Hazara boy, Liaqat Ali, protesting against genocide of Hazaras, killed by Pakistani FC force. Pakistani Security Agencies have been singled out by various human rights organizations as providing safe havens for the terrorists and killings its own citizens.

2012

January 26: Three men were shot dead in Quetta. Two of the victims were public servants and the third one Abid Ali Nazish, was a television artist.[45]

March 26: Two Hazara men were shot dead on Sabzal road, Quetta.[46]

March 29: A taxi carrying passengers from Hazara Town was sprayed with bullets, which killed seven and injured six.[47][48][49][50] Three women and some children were also among the casualties. This had been the third attack on this small community in just one week.[51][52] Two boys under 16 were shot dead by the police as they tried to disperse angry protesters blocking traffic, raising the death toll to nine.[51]

April 3: Two Hazara men were shot dead in Mekongi road, Quetta, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) claimed responsibility for the attack.[53][54]

April 9: Six men were killed by unidentified gunmen on Prince road around 1930 hrs PST.[55][56]

April 12: Three businessmen, one Tea trader and two Ice cream parlour owners, were gunned down in the busiest Bazaars of the city, in two separate incidents.[57][58]

April 14: Eight Hazara men were killed on their way to work when armed assailants opened fire on a taxi carrying them on Brewery road.[59]

April 16: A Hazara man working in tire shop was killed by unknown gunmen on Quarry road, Quetta.[60]

April 21: Two brothers were shot dead on Brewery road near SBKW University adjacent to Hazara Town, Quetta. The Pakistani paramilitary force of Frontier Corps later arrested three suspects with the help of locals.[61][62]

May 6: A tire-shop owner was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Dasht area of Mastung on Quetta-Sibi highway.[63][64]

May 15: Two brothers were killed when unidentified gunmen opened fire on them while they were standing in the line outside Passport issuing office on Joint road, Quetta.[65][66]

June 28 15 people were killed and 45 others injured, when a suicide attack occurred on a bus in Quetta which had just returned from Iran carrying 60 pilgrims including scores of women and children belonging to the Hazara community.[67] Among the dead were four women and two children.

Nov 6, 2012: Al-Qaida affiliated Terrorist group, Lashkar-e Jhangvi, once again targets Hazara travellers on the terrorist-infested Spinny road: 3 Hazaras killed, 2 injured.[68]

Nov 10, 2012: Unknown Terrorist opened fire on Taxi in Manan Chowk where two Hazaras were killed and two were injured, while one was gunned down at Zarghon road.[69]

See also

References

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  67. ^ ‘Suicide’ blast: 14 killed in attack on Hazara pilgrims
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  69. ^ Zafar Baloch (10 November 2012). The Express Tribune http://tribune.com.pk/story/463711/quetta-violence-three-hazaras-gunned-down-in-separate-incidents/. Retrieved 10 November 2012. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)


http://dawn.com/2012/09/18/bomb-blast-kills-at-least-four-near-quetta/

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