Amid growing terror and extremism in Pakistan, religious minorities (Shias, Ahmedis, Christians, etc) in particular have been the targets of the various Islamic militant groups. The Hazara community in Balochistan has been a regular target of many suicide attacks, bombings and shootings, particularly organised by the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ). In the past weeks, there have been two attacks during Friday prayers on Imambargahs in Shikarpur and Peshawar. Due to the tragic ineffectiveness of the security forces in Sindh in the past, sectarian and other militant groups have become deeply rooted in the province, just as they have in Balochistan. These groups have recently been under fire, from both the authorities and non-state actors that have not as yet been identified. Maulana Mazhar Siddiqui, the leader of the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat’s (ASWJ) Rawalpindi wing, was killed by an unidentified assailant on Sunday. The central president of the party, Aurangzeb Farooqi, escaped what was described by his organisation as the fifth attempt on his life in Karachi on Saturday. There has been speculation as to who these assailants are and whether they belong to militant organisations or were acting on their own. Could this be internal conflict within the group that has branched out from and has ties with various other such outfits? Or, is this a response from elements who, in one way or another, have been affected by violence at the hands of the LeJ and ASWJ? After the mass murder of thousands of members of the Shia community it would not be surprising to learn that people seeking justice are fighting back against these organisations that the government has not paid due attention to.
After the attack on Farooqi, several police officers and rangers appeared at the scene and are investigating the incident. Members of the ASWJ protested the killing of their leader, claiming that 18 members of the ASWJ had been killed, bemoaning the fact that the authorities did not seem to be concerned about their safety. They marched to the Supreme Court and began a sit-in there after a scuffle with the police, who strangely enough let them through eventually. The ASWJ belongs to a growing category of proscribed organisations which, once banned, assume a new name to resume their activities without fear of arrest. Although the government’s need to investigate crimes, even those of vigilante justice, are understandable, the ASWJ should be investigated for their involvement in acts of terror because of their links to LeJ and other such groups.
In the aftermath of the Peshawar attack on an army public school, which claimed the lives of about 150 students and some teachers and devastated the entire country, the government has redoubled its efforts to root out terrorism, including tracking down the leaders and militants belonging to terrorist outfits. The government finally seems to be taking notice, which in the status quo of growing sectarian violence, is much needed and long awaited. Usman Saifullah Kurd, an important leader of the banned LeJ, was killed along with his private guard during a raid by security forces on a hotel in Sariab area near Quetta on Sunday. It may seem strange that a leader of a banned terrorist organisation was just sitting in a public hotel where he would be susceptible to the reach of law enforcement, yet his brazen activities show the weakness and inconsistency of the pursuit by security forces of these terrorists. Recently, politicians have been lauding themselves for arresting people for the misuse of loudspeakers and intolerant graffiti, yet there is an urgent necessity for the further implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP). Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday convened a meeting on the implementation of NAP at the Governor’s House in Sindh, stating that “failure in the fight against militancy is not an option”. It is encouraging to observe these rejuvenated efforts, which will hopefully strengthen and develop into a strong, unyielding, targeted plan to arrest the perpetrators of acts of terror and sectarian crimes to prevent the further loss of citizens’ lives. *