Two customers popped in Fire Brigade Shopping Plaza on Meconogey Road, Quetta City, Pakistan around 4pm on May 27, 2015. One of them walked to Haji Hussain shop, who was sitting on a small stool in his small shop. On seeing the customer, Haji stood up to receive the customer warmly, but he instead received several warm bullets in his body. The other customer, in the meantime, went to the next shop, pulled his gun out and pumped multiple bullets into Muhammad Essa’s body. Later on, both killer customers moved to Haji Musa’s shop and shot several bullets on his body. The unknown armed men, after that, calmly managed to drive off to an unknown destination. It was not the first time that the unknown killers escaped to an unknown destination. It was the third time in two days, fourth time in fifteen days and 176 times for the past 14 years.
The main City Police Station is situated a few meters away from the killing scene while the Frontier Corps (FC) check post is literally 15 yards away. But it does not make a difference, when it comes to Hazara killings in Pakistan especially Quetta City.
Haji Hussain died on the spot. Haji Musa succumbed to his injuries in the hospital, while Muhammad Essa is getting medical treatment in the hospital.
On May 25, 2015 around 6pm, an unknown armed man, reportedly clad in a Police uniform, appeared at Saleem Complex, Jinnah Road, Quetta City and sprayed bullets on four Hazaras who were sitting in a private clinic — waiting for the doctor to get medical treatment. The killer shot killed two Hazara men on the scene and injured two Hazara women. The unknown armed man afterwards managed to escape to an unknown destination.
Earlier that day, around 12pm midday, a customer walked to Anwar Ali’s shop on Shara-e-Iqbal, Quetta City, took his gun out and fired several bullets on Anwar’s body. The unknown armed customer, after that, calmly came out of the shop, kicked-start his bike and rode off to an unknown destination.
Let me give you one more example. Three Hazara young men in their early 20s were ambushed near Qalandar Makan, Kansi Road, Quetta City on May 12, 2015. Ali Raza died on the spot while Ashraf Ali and Safar Ali succumbed to their injuries at the hospital. The unknown killers walked away to an unknown destination.
For the past 14 years, over 1400 Hazaras have so far been systematically killed and 5,000 plus injured including women and children in 176 attacks by unknown killers. And not a single killer of Hazara has so far been arrested or brought to justice.
The unknown killers, after killing Hazaras, always go to an unknown destinations somewhere in Quetta City but the local Police and Frontier Corps (FC) due to some “unknown reasons” do not know who the killers are and where their unknown destinations are. However, when it comes to Baloch nationalists, FC easily find them out—even under the mountains from a vast Balochistan province spreading out 347,190 square kilometre area. There is no unknown area or destination for Baloch nationalists but when it comes to Hazara killers, YES, there are some “unknown areas” for them to enjoy.
In Pakistan especially in Quetta City, everybody knows that Leshkar-e-Jangvi militants kill Hazara community for being Shia Muslim. Even they themselves ring up to the local newspapers and claim the responsibility of each Hazara killing incident. Human rights organizations especially Human Rights Watch, Asian Human Rights Commission and Amnesty International reports are filled with evidence, but the federal government, provincial government, security agencies unfortunately do not know who they are and where they live.
In Pakistan, many believe that the local Police and Frontier Corps have the strength and capability to stop killing of Hazaras in one week by bringing all the killers to justice, but unfortunately they do not want to do it.
I’ve personally lost hope on the federal government, provincial government and security agencies in providing protection to my community and bringing Hazara killers to justice. But have I lost hope on United Nations, human rights organizations and international community to help stop Hazara ethnic cleansing in Pakistan? The near future may have the right answer.