The Massacre at Taftan

In the recent attack on Karachi, the responsibility for which was taken by the Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan, TTP, a news of major importance, which should have made headlines, was not highlighted by the media. Nearly two dozen Shia pilgrims were killed and many more injured in a suicide attack on a hotel hosting Shia pilgrims in Taftan, a district on the border with Iran, late on Sunday night. Officials fear the death toll could rise as some of the injured are in critical condition. A suicide bomber entered Al Murtaza Hotel and detonated the explosives strapped to his body in the midst of Shia pilgrims. The blast also caused significant damage to the building. The pilgrims had returned after pilgrimage of sacred shrines in Iran and were waiting for transport in the two hotels when the bomber struck. The officials put the number of casualties at 23 while Edhi sources put it at 35.

Pakistan has been suffering violence from various kinds of militants in the last many years. But in this cycle of unending violence some have suffered more. The Shia community which comprises approximately 20% of Pakistan’s population has been specifically targeted for more than two decades now. The sectarian seeds which were sown during the time of the military dictator Zia have now grown up to be big and deep rooted trees. The specific target of these groups has specifically been Pakistan’s Shia population. In cities and towns across Pakistan, be it Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Gilgit etc, Shia professionals like Doctors, lawyers, businessmen and others have been killed for their religious affiliations. Not only have the professionals been targeted, but common Shias, like the ones in Taftaan have been targeted, especially when they are on way to a religious pilgrimage. Muharaam processions in Pakistan are often prone to violence.  The recent attack on Taftaan is part of a wider campaign.  A terrorist group, Jaish-ul-Islam, has claimed responsibility for this attack and the response from the Pakistani establishment and political leadership has been meek. It seems that it is business as usual.

The problem in Pakistan in dealing with its sectarian monsters is largely the indifference from the State. To an extent, the larger Pakistani society does not acknowledge the gravity and scale of this murderous against various religious groups. Since violence and killings in Pakistan is a very common phenomenon, many people club this sectarian violence with the wider problem of terrorism that Pakistan is up against. This narrative dilutes the problem of sectarian violence. No doubt that various terrorist outfits in Pakistan share their resources and assets, but there are some outfits which are dedicated to carry out violence against groups with particular religious and sectarian identity. This important point should not be lost on the authorities if they want to deal effectively with this menace.

Whenever such an unfortunate attack takes place anywhere in Pakistan, there are the mandatory condemnations, many of which are conditional. The Pakistani establishment needs to move beyond such meek condemnation and take on this monster wholeheartedly. The Pakistani State needs to wake up from its slumber and treat this problem with all the seriousness that it deserves. In the absence of an effective strategy to counter these murderous outfits, one will be compelled to not only doubt whether Pakistan can take them on ,but also raise questions about whether the Pakistani State is actively patronizing them.

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