It was 5th of October 1999 when ex-education minister Sardar Nisar Ali was ambushed by “unknown” terrorists. His driver died on the spot, however he himself fortunately survived but sustained serious bullet injuries. It was the first ever terrorist attempt on a prominent Hazara figure in Quetta City Pakistan in a democratic set up led by the elected Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Soon after, leading Hazara businessmen including Sardar Saadat Ali the younger brother of Sardar Nisar Ali started receiving life threat calls known to be later on from the “alleged” terrorists inside Afghanistan.
On 12th of October 1999, when General Musharraf took power, Hazara community took a sigh of relief expecting their grievances to be addressed by the chief executive but the matter seemed beyond his reign. However, the terrorists in the meantime kept intermittent attacks on Hazaras during the year 2000 and 2001 but further accelerated by killing 12 young Hazara police cadets on Sariab Road Quetta on 8th of June 2003. It was the first major blow to Hazaras in a garrison city surrounded by law enforcement agencies. To raise their voice heard Hazaras took to the street, staged protest, held press conference and met ex-governor Balochistan Rt. General Qadir Baloch who promised to bring the culprits to justice but all in vain. The following years, terrorists continued attacks on prominent Hazara professionals, businessmen and even laymen in the suburbs of Quetta city during late hours. Hazaras in the meantime didn’t lose hope started knocking at all potential doors to get this problem sorted out but the malicious designs of the terrorists seemed to be more precious than the blood of Hazaras.
In order to inflict heavy casualty to Hazaras, the terrorists broke into the mosque sprayed bullets and hurled hand grenades killing 47 Hazaras and injured over 100 on Mikangi Road Quetta on 4th of July 2003. Moreover, the same terrorist group attacked on the Ashura procession killed at least 80 Hazaras including children and injured over 200 the following year. Till March 2008, Musharraf government technically remained their sound system shut and never intended to hear the hue and cry of Hazaras caused by their loved ones.
The new elected government came to power in March 2008. The death toll of Hazaras was multiplying very fast and Hazaras were expecting from the elected democratic government to get control of the terrorists. Fortunately, two high profile killers Usman Saifullah Kurd and Shafiq Rind were taken into custody but later on, mysteriously escaped from the anti-terrorist jail situated in cantonment area Quetta. The terrorists after being released further intensified Hazara killings even nearer to the security check posts in Quetta city with full impunity.
When Zardari replaced Musharraf on 6th of September 2008, the terrorists seemed to have received an official licence to kill Hazaras anywhere they find and Hazaras started getting killed and abducted on nearly daily basis. Hazara killings which normally used to be around the suburbs of Quetta city now moved to the city centre. In 2010, the terrorists stopped covering their faces and started killings Hazaras in their shops in wee hours in city centre. Dozens of Hazara businessmen were either killed or abducted. The terrorists soon after the killings started openly phoning to the local newspapers to not only claim the responsibility of the killing but also issue further threats to Hazaras through the newspapers.
The whole world once again watched Hazaras being pulled out of the bus killing 26 on the spot on September 2011 near Mastung area. The same episode happened just after few days where Hazaras were once again singled out of the bus, dragged them off the bus and shot them dead in front of other commuters in Quetta city.
On 1st of March 2012, the plight of Hazaras was discussed on the floor of House of Commons—UK Parliament—through an adjournment debate led by Mr Alan Johnson lasted for 30 minutes, which raised the issue globally. Hazaras for the first time staged protest all over the globe to pressurise the government of Pakistan to help stop the killings but the civil government perhaps didn’t have the authority to get hold of the perpetrators involved in the mass killings of Hazaras. Hazaras on other hand didn’t lose hope started meeting with the big guns especially president Zardari but again nothing happened as those who were involved had strong connections with the king makers of Pakistan.
Following the twin-blast on January 10th, 2013, which claimed 104 lives and injured over 150, Hazaras staged long sit-in protest with their dead bodies along with the support of the civil society and media, which forced the central government to immediately remove the provincial government and further installed the governor rule with a promise of targeted operations against the religious militants Leshkar-e-Jahnvi.
Under the governor rule, Hazara surrounding areas were cordoned off by establishing security check posts but the security measures stopped working when a water-tank laden with 1000kg explosives crossed the security check post on Kirani Road killing over 80 Hazaras and injured over 200 in Hazara Town on February 16th, 2013.
Over 1100 Hazaras have so far been killed and the present government has come up with another great idea by erecting concrete walls and security check posts all around Alamdar Road area and Hazara Town to ward off the possible terrorist violence in Quetta city. It is widely believed that the present concrete walls around Alamdar Road area would likely meet with failure like Musharraf government, Zardari government, governor rule, secrete services and the security check posts in trading with the terrorists.
Now the terrorists are targeting Hazaras inside their homes. God forbid! What further plans the incumbent government may put in place, if another terrorist incident takes place within the vicinity of Hazaras in the presence of the concrete walls? What will the situation be like or what other options may the government bring to the light? Will the government ask Hazaras to wear bullet-proof jackets with bullet-proof helmets or may the government provide bullet-proof homes to stay save from rocket attacks or bomb blasts? Or will the government order Hazaras to stay at bullet-proof homes all the time or may request UN forces to come forward to protect them as the government has already claimed security failure in dealing with the terrorists?