Quetta used to be the valley of love, particularly the Hazara dominated areas (Mahr-Abad and New Hazara Town). We used to live in peace and tranquility. We used to roam around the city with no fear. We used to go for picnics and participate in different occasions. I am really missing the days, when I used to ride to school and college with no fear of death. But it has been more than a decade that Quetta has turned to a valley of graveyard for its citizens, particularly for Hazara minority.
There have been two main communities who have been the targeted victims in Baluchistan since 1998. 1. Baluch ethnic, who are believed to be the ancient inhabitant of Baluchistan. 2. Hazara community, who are well-known of their hard work, dedication to education and civilization.
The reason behind Hazara community of being targeted is still mystifying. The poor Hazaras are neither demanding greater shares in government nor looking to great trouble for government. They have always been obedient to the imposed rules and regulations by government. This community has long been neglected and forgotten by the government. They have lost around 800 innocent lives in different targeted attacks by religious extremist militants such as Lashke-e-Jangavi and Sepah-e-Sahaba who have got close links with Taliban and Al-Qaeda since 1998.
"Of millions who live in Balochistan, 40 deaths in Mastung is not big deal. I will send a truckload of tissue papers to the bereaved families. I would have sent tobacco if I was not a politician." Said the Chief Minister (CM) of Balchistan Nawab Aslam Raisani to the media in October, 20, 2011, when 40 people from Hazara minority were selectively lined up and shot dead on the way to Iran in Mastung. The statement of CM of the province demonstrates that how serious and loyal are the provincial's leading chair persons regarding their duties.
The members of Hazara community in different areas of the city have been being singled out and inhumanly targeted over the past few years. The targeted attacks on Hazara community have topped the headlines of news since 1998. There is no single day when they witness bloodshed of their community members. There is no single minute passing in peace. Most of the targeted attacks have proudly been claimed by Lashkar-e-Jangavi which is a banned sectarian outfit in Pakistan. But unfortunately this group has not been brought to justice yet by the government.
The targeted attacks on this poor community crossed the limits on May, 02, 2011, when the leading mastermind of Al-Qaeda network (Osama bin Laden) was assassinated in Pakistan by US Special Forces. Following his death, the LeJ spokesman from an unidentified location who identified himself as Ali Sher Haideri threatened to avenge the killing of their leader Osma bin Laden and the poor Hazara community members and localities were the first revenge attacks' victims. The community has lost more than 60 of their beloved members as a result of several attacks since May, 02, 2011. The victims of the incidents are mainly women, children, political leaders, civil service clerks, business men, students and teachers.
The community members have also tried to raise their voices against the insurgencies that the community has been tolerating for a decade. But unfortunately, their voices fell into deaf ears and no one intended to hear them. All the authorized organizations such as UN and other Human Rights Organizations and the government of Pakistan turned a deaf ear and ignored the incidents. The silence of government in response to the strike and peaceful movements encouraged the extremist militants to speed up their inhuman activities and they launched another attack on Sept 20, 2011 on a Taftan route passenger bus in which they killed around 26 innocent passengers on the spot.
According to the eyewitness (Bus Driver) narration of the incident, "there were around 50 passengers in the bus; most of whom were pilgrims from Hazara community. The bus was intercepted by armed men on motorcycles near Gangi-Dori area on Quetta to Taftan Road. The area is about 50Km away from Quetta city. They entered the bus and selectively took the passengers out of the bus, lined them and opened fired on them." He added, "The attackers were eight to ten men and were carrying rocket-launchers and Kalashinkovs.
After Levies and Frontier Corps personnel rushed to the site of the incident, the assailants manage to escape. Livies and FC took the injured and dead bodies to Bolan Medical College Hospital in Quetta." The scene did not end there; later on the armed men killed three more people who were going in an ambulance to Mastung to carry the dead bodies and injured ones to Quetta. LeJ spokesman, right after the incident, claimed the responsibility. Following the incident, Baluchistan Governor Zulfiqar Maggsi and Chief Minister Aslam Raisani condemned the attacks and directed the Inspector General of Police and other officials to arrest the culprits as soon as possible. But unfortunately, it did not happen and finally, they closed the file.
Considering the ignorance of Pakistan government regarding the insurgent and targeted attacks and turning deaf ears to strikes and mourning periods. The Hazara people called a worldwide protest against Hazara genocide in Pakistan. Protestors in several major Pakistani cities were gathered by thousands of others in Turkey, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Australia, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and other regions. The demonstrations, however, failed to garner much attention from international media or governments in these countries.
The strongest reaction came from an Italian politician, a Social-Democrat MP, who called on the EU and the UN to take action to end the Holocaust. Despite all the peaceful strategies and condemns to put an end to this bloodshed era, the extremist insurgent militants have audaciously kept on targeting the innocent people of the community.
Along sharing the same religion, the members of LeJ declared the Shia followers as Non-Muslim and have called for Jihad against them in their warring letters that they have frequently printed in the area. They have used different strategies of attacking the areas such as rocket-launchers and suicide bombers. Luckily the suicide-bombers have been several times arrested by the people and security forces or have exploded before entering the targeted areas which are usually Imambargahs during prayer times.
The insurgent activities in the country have faded away the hopes of life for most of the youngsters and have pushed the people behind the walls. Security threats have caused most of the university and college students to abandon studies and take an alternative option of seeking asylum in Australia and European countries. They prefer being capsized in the Atlantic Ocean which has already taken away the lives of around 300 people instead of being killed in Pakistan for no reason other than of being a minority.
The insecure boiling point situation in the country indicates the government's failure in its basic duty of protecting its citizens' lives. The citizens have lost faith on government and wait for their turn of getting down on ground one by one.