Shias Under Attack in Pakistan

A “rogue” nation, which always tries to educate us about the plight of Muslims in our country, has found itself in the midst of a biggest ever civil war situation, as Sunnis in that country have gone after the Shias, triggering a major crisis. Yes, we are talking about Pakistan.

A few days ago, a deadly bomb blast left 89 Shias dead in Quetta, leading to a global outrage among the Muslim community. A bomb containing hundreds of kilogrammes of explosives hit a crowded market in Hazara Town in Quetta. Many women and children were among the dead. About 200 people were injured too. Several buildings were also damaged in the blast.

This is not the first time such an attack took place on Shias. At least 92 people were killed in a suicide bombing in Quetta in January 2013. Most dead were from the Shia community. The Shias went on a big strike across Pakistan, putting normal life to a halt in Karachi, Islamabad and other cities. They even refused to bury the bomb victims, demanding strong action from a government, which has become hapless in front of the Army, ISI, Taliban and other Jihadi elements.

Lashkar-e-Jhangvia, a Sunni militant group, claimed responsibility for the attack. The same group had taken the responsibility for the last month’s attack too. Pakistan has become a failed state. A state, which cannot protect its citizen, has no right to fight for the rights of citizens of another country, when it keeps raking up the Kashmir issue. The Pakistanis must protect the Shias first before talking about protection for the Kashmiris.