Just like the event of one year before, government of Pakistan brought an end to the protest of Hazara community in Quetta of Pakistan by making some promises. At that time as well, so many promises were made but later on they were not kept and a complete nation was deceived. On Tuesday, when a bus carrying Hazara pilgrims was passing from the Mastung district, an explosive-laden vehicle was crashed into the bus that left 27 people dead and dozens more injured. As a protest, Hazara community refused to bury the dead bodies and they started a sit-in along with the dead bodies. Their demands were same and just; the arrest of the real masterminds behind the attacks on Hazara community and bringing them into justice.

For so many years, members of Hazara community have been under constant attacks from the terrorists and religious extremists but some points are really worth-praising about this community. They never surrendered and lost hope against the plans and hopes of terrorists. Terrorists hoped that they would get afraid and leave the city and migrate to any safer place but they withstood against all the hardships and refused to give up. Secondly, they never took the way of military retaliation or anti-state activities rather they always stood firm with peace and tolerance. Third, they never left their endeavor to come up as the most civilized and educated community of the country. Still, the efforts to get more and more education and excel in all the fields of life are on rise and these sad incidents have never let them lose their hope.  

But most painful is the lack of seriousness by those who are responsible for finishing this problem from its roots. Last year as well, as the talks between government and elders of Hazara community were successful, full-fledged military operations were started in different parts of the province and it was claimed that large number of terrorists were arrested but it is a sad fact that after that no one heard of the follow-up of these arrests and the trial and punishment of the criminals. Had these criminals been punished, there could have been considerable decline in such incidents but unfortunately nothing concrete and productive was done in this regard.

This all started when a major attack was carried out on a mosque of Hazara community in Quetta that left more than 70 innocent worshippers dead. It was considered a heinous plot being carried out by brutal religious extremists.

Then every passing day witnessed a sharp rise in such attacks. In the beginning, such incidents turned the whole city sad and gloomy and their effects turned every face concerned but such repeated incidents made them less attractive and with every passing day, they resounded very less.

Such brutal killings took many shapes with time. First only religious places were attacked, then the prominent religious and political figures were targeted and now it has become condition that no Hazara citizen in Quetta city of Pakistan feels himself safe outside the boundary walls of his house. In last few months, no day has passed when people have not heard of any such brutal incident when the innocent Hazara people were deprived of their lives. Now these attacks have become so rampant and flagrant that people travelling in buses, vans, taxis and even on motorbikes have been killed by these irrational and barbarous attackers.

Attackers have now left choosing their targets and they open fire wherever they see a person belonging to Hazara community; be it a child, a teenager, men, women, sick and weak and even the babies have not been spared.

Very suspicious role is of police and other law-enforcing agencies who have absolutely failed to curb such attacks or even to find out clues that could unveil the genuine planners and sponsors of such attacks. Pakistan’s secret services are considered to be very vigilant and efficient on the global arena but here they have also failed to play their role. More suspicious is the fact that some responsible criminals or master minds were arrested but then nobody came to know about further investigation or discoveries. Such dark conspiracies have been buried deep under the secrecy of religious and political biases.

These incidents have snatched their fathers from innumerable children making their future dark and uncertain. These have left a lot many widows crying for their husbands and fathers for their sons or other loved ones. Almost every house has come under the dark clouds of this brutality where silent cries and rolling tears can be noticed if shown a bit concern in this regard.

When people found no other option, they decided to leave the country and migrate to Australia as they could no more see their loved ones being snatched from them.

They had to desert the houses which they had built with all the love and labor of many years. They had to wind up the businesses which they had established after the efforts of a number of decades. There is a long list of so many other losses that they had to bear silently.

A couple of years back a friend of mine informed me sadly that his one dear friend had fallen victim in one of such attacks. After a few months he had to go to the funeral of his another friend and then this never came to an end. When I met him last time some six months ago, he informed me that his last friend was also assassinated and now he was left absolutely friendless. His eyes were full of tears and there was a faint helpless smile on his lips.

I am not much acknowledged person to blame government or extremists or others for this but there are also present some people who share this crime.

First are those illiterate and stupid people who have not fully understood the true teachings of Islam and they think that Shia are Non-Muslim and thus it is a religious duty to kill and finish them all. Islam regards the killing of a person equal to killing of the whole of humanity and never allows any kind of cruelty at others.

Then this responsibility falls on the shoulders of all the prominent political, tribal and religious figures of Sunni sect and members of society who have remained silent and have done nothing except to release some condolences. They may be silent because they fear that they might also become a target of those powerful and resourceful forces who are playing this game in the region, or they don’t want to disturb and bring an end to their peaceful and comfortable lives or this problem does not affect them directly so they don’t much bother about other innocent people.

Everyone says that these targeted killings are against Islam and humanity and they must be stopped. Today or tomorrow, every member of the society will have to stand up against these, considering only the humanity and leaving aside the differences of Shia and Sunni. Otherwise, this fire will reach to houses of all and will not spare anyone. Present situation of Quetta where everyone is living in an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty is just the beginning of this.