Evidently, Quetta’s Hazara are the
Mongols, who migrated from Central Asia to the Banyan District in Afghanistan.
They belong to the Shia faction of Islam. Persian is their main language.
Demographically, Hazaras live in three countries: Afghanistan (7-8 million);
Iran (1.2 million) and Pakistan (0.7 million). In addition, a diaspora of
approximately 400,000 to 500,000 is spread around in a number of Western
countries. Hazaras have a long history of persecution at the hands of Afghans
which dates back to 16th century. During the era of Amir Abdel Rahman
(1880-1901), who is regarded as founder of modern Afghanistan, thousands of
Hazaras were killed, expelled and enslaved. Almost half of the Hazara
population was displaced to neighboring Baluchistan of British India and the
Khorasan province in Iran. Hazaras shifted to Quetta, in numbers, from
Afghanistan in 1840; and to avenge the Afghan atrocities, they joined the
British army in flocks.
In 1904, the British
raised an infantry unit, the “106th Hazara Pioneers”, comprising Hazara
refugees in Quetta. Hazaras fought for the British during Anglo Afghan wars.
Hence, they carry a historic baggage; whereby the Afghans do not tolerate their
presence in Pashtun area. Therefore, by default, it has become a fault line
which can easily be triggered. And once ignited, it soon becomes
self-sustaining through its own momentum and tempo. So far Hazaras have been on
the receiving end; they have refrained from taking up organized armed struggle
against the rival groups. During this year, Hazaras of Quetta have been
targeted mercilessly as if their lives are of no value. Earlier also, the
Hazara community was hunted down, as a matter of routine. Previously, incidents
were of the type of forced off-loading of Hazaras from public transport and
killing them indiscriminately, like animals. Ostensibly, systematic targeting
of Hazara community has many facets: local rivalries, sectarian sentiment,
regional dynamics and fissures created by the Great Game. The Iranian
intelligence Agencies Itallat through its Quetta based consulate, Pasdarans
(Iranians revolutionary guards) placed with Iranian Intelligence (cover)
officers in Iranian Culture Centre of Quetta and Peshawar carries out discreet
abortive attempts on Hazara Community thus killings scores of innocent Hazaras.
Besides NDS, RAW and proscribed terrorist organizations including Baluchistan
Liberation Army (BLA), lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Ahle-Sunnat wal Jammat are also
instrumental in Hazara’ assassinations. The land mafia / criminal elements are
also involved in abductions and using coercive methods to grab valuable
properties of Hazara’s spreading from Taftan border to Quetta including
expensive huge warehouses in Chamman.
The facts are corroborated by RAND (US
Think Tank) scholar Christine Fair, a leading American expert on South Asia,
Quote in a American journal Foreign Affairs that Pakistan has legitimate
concerns about India’s involvement in initiating unrest in Bauchistan. She
contended that “Indian official have told me privately that they are pumping
money into Baluchistan.” Kabul has encouraged India to engage in provocative
activities such as using the Border Roads Organization to build sensitive parts
of the Ring Road and use the Indo-Tibetan police force for security. It is also
building schools on a sensitive part of the border in Kunar – across from
Bajaur. Kabul’s motivations for encouraging these activities are as obvious as
India’s interest in engaging in them. “Unquote
Recent increase in the massacre like
events have come under the backdrop of weakening of our law enforcement
agencies (LEAs) through a concerted campaign of smear propaganda. This compaign
was particularly focused against Frontier Corps (FC) Baluchistan. Saner voices
have all along been cautioning that exclusion of “B” areas from the
jurisdiction of LAEs and handing to over to Levies and Khasadars would
eventually result in handing over lamb to wolves, in the rural area. Demand for
withdrawal of FC from Baluchistan is aimed at driving the chaos to unmanageable
heights in urban areas as well.
As a consequence of the attacks, and
the alleged impunity by which they are perpetrated, a large number of Hazaras
have recently taken to the streets to protest against these ruthless killings
of their community members. The protest sit-in on Alamdar Road, Quetta, saw
active participation of citizens representing Hazara tribe, including women,
children and the elders. Jalela Advocate, who has been active in the sit-in,
told the media that the people of Hazara were aspirants of a peaceful
Baluchistan and a peaceful Pakistan. The protest over the recent spate of
targeted killings in the city was called off only after the meeting of the
leaders of Shia Hazara community with Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar
Javed Bajwa, who gave an assurance that those behind the attacks shall suffer
twice as much. As per the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), during
46 incidents of target killing and bomb blasts in Quetta from January 2012 to
December 2017, up to 525 were killed while 734 were injured. Where, more than
200 people of the Hazara community were killed in only two suicide bomb
attacks.
Although large-scale attacks targeting
the Hazaras saw a decline after the military operations against terror,
targeted killing of the community never completely ended. And this raises
serious questions about the government’s seriousness ascribed to this turmoil.
Tribal leader Nawabzada Haji Lashkri Raesani said, “Increase in the number of
incidents of terrorism is a challenge for the state.” For the dream of a
peaceful Baluchistan to materialize, politicians should unite against the
ongoing oppression in the province. The underlined implication is that there
cannot be a complete peace in Baluchistan if the policy of giving space to
extremist groups remains in place. Apart from improving the security situation
and intelligence sharing to avoid targeted attacks in Quetta, a Shift in policy
on state level is also needed. On the supportive side, 19 platoons of Frontier
Corps (FC) were deployed in Mureeabad and Hazara Town for security of the
Hazara community. Other than this, officers of the law enforcement agencies
provided security to visitors travelling from Quetta to Taftan. The Chief
Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar also took suomotu notice of the Hazara
targeted killings. COAS General Bajwa said, “the state is responsible for the
security of its citizens, and each and every casualty, including from the
Hazara community, is of concern to us. Through a unified national effort, we
have turned the tide of terrorism; however, a lot is still being done against
inimical designs to reverse the gains by exploiting various fault lines.”
Hence, the government should take up the responsibility of citizens and should
act fast before the troublemakers’ take further advantage of the situation in
Baluchistan.
