Anti-Shi’ism in Pakistan

Pakistan’s innocent Hazara under attack by extremists.

Anti-Shi’ism in Pakistan has led to killing of 21,000 Shia of whom about 9000 were murdered in direct attacks. Mass killings and “targeted assassination of Shia intellectuals”, is referred to as genocide by Lord Eric Avebury, a House of Lords member and chair of a Parliamentary Human Rights Group in British Parliament,  according to Article 2 of the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Shah, 2013).

Shia, Targets of Assassination

Anti-Shi’ism in Pakistan is not limited to mass murders. Shia women and young girls are targeted of acid attacks. Also Shia highly educated professionals has long been targeted for assassination. As an instance, according to Amnesty International 2002 report, nearly seventy Shia doctors were killed. Nearly 200 Shia doctors in total `along with other professionals such as lawyers, academics, educationists, sportsman, entrepreneurs and poets were target assassinated by terrorists. Shia mosques and processions or Imambargahs (worship places) were burned or attacked by extremists and the government not only did not prevent the attackers from burning the sites, but also it supported them by declaring  martial law (LUBP, 2013).

Roots of Violence against Shia in Pakistan

Shia genocide in Pakistan is becoming systematic due to unchallenged activities of terrorist organizations, most of which have links to Taliban and Al-Qaida.  Also government‘s indifference, incompetence to provide security for 40 million Shia, who makes up twenty percent of Pakistan’s population and second largest religious group in the country. Some elements within Pakistan government have also supported these terrorist groups in achieving their dangerous goals of “purifying Pakistan” from Shia and establish a nuclear armed Wahhabi Salafi state.

Report on Violation in Pakistan

Pakistan: Untold stories

References

LUBP. (2013). Shia Genocide in Pakistan. Retrieved from Let Us Build Pakistan: http://lubpak.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Shia-Genocide-in-Pakistan.pdf

Shah, M. A. (2013). British Parliament’s Human Rights Group approaches the UN to stop Shia Genocide in Pakistan. LUBP.