SYSTEMATIC KILLINGS: PART II -
A New Wave of Sectarian Militancy
If the feeling had taken hold that the menace of sectarian violence had been contained, this
perception has been rudely shattered by the latest bout of killings to shake the country. It started with
the gunning down of a Shia leader in Dera Ismail Khan the other day. This was followed by the
assassination of a leading Shia figure in Gujranwala. To top it all, however, is the attack on an
Imambargah in Karachi which has left eight people dead and many more injured. Clearly, sectarian
fanatics, after lying low for some time, have risen again to destroy the country's peace and raise fresh
questions about where as a people we are headed. The level of intolerance in our society is growing,
and far from anyone having an answer to this scourge, more and more adherents are flocking to the
banner of organizations which specialize in the propagation of very narrow-minded creeds. However,
if narrowmindedness was the only problem, it could still be dealt with. The problem in Pakistan is that
religious bigotry and fanaticism have acquired militant overtones. Virulent hatred towards members of
different sects is not only preached but glorified. Not surprisingly, those who distinguish themselves in
acts of sectarian violence are revered as holy warriors and extolled as examples to be emulated. Thus
an entire culture of religiously-inspired militancy has evolved which threatens the peace and security
of the country.
If this is a fearsome challenge, the response of the authorities falls far short of what should have been
expected. Some sectarian terrorists have been arrested but not all have been brought to trial or
punished for their horrific acts. This sends the wrong kind of signal to everybody and further
undermines confidence in the ability of the police and the courts to withstand this challenge. In fact,
the inner circle of the more pronounced sectarian outfits which deal in murder and mayhem has not
been cracked. Many of the prominent terrorists of the Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, for example - an
organization which has been in the forefront of religious assassinations - remain at large even though
they carry substantial amounts as head money. True, the hard core of these terrorist outfits is not
large but this fact alone is of little comfort as long as these hitmen, for they are no better than that,
remain free to strike where they will.
What the last few years have shown is that sectarian violence comes in waves and cycles. Gruesome
incidents take place which capture and frighten the popular imagination and send the authorities into a
frantic whirl of activity with solemn vows being uttered to bring the culprits to book. But as the
memory of these incidents fades, the pace of the authorities also slackens and soon it is back to
business as usual. At a time and place of their choosing the terrorists strike again and once more the
familiar cycle repeats itself before the inevitable slowing down. Clearly this sterile approach must yield
place to a more meaningful strategy to combat the menace. The fight against sectarian violence must
never slacken and indeed must remain one of our leading national priorities if the walls of blind
antagonism and hatred that have been raised between various sects are to be broken down and
Pakistani society is to recapture the harmony and peace which it knew once upon a time.
While this is a testing time for all Pakistanis, it is more so for the Shiite community which has been the
target of all three of the latest attacks. It is all too easy, and natural, for this community to be
overcome and swept along by feelings of anger and revenge. But to give way to these feelings would
be to play into the hands of the very evil forces which are behind these outrages. Since their mission is
to spread discord and anarchy they would like nothing better than to see violence met by violence so
that the fires of hatred spread across the country. Their evil designs must be defeated and for that it is
essential that, tough though it may be, the Shiite community should show patience and forbearance.
The leaders of this community must come forward and lay a restraining hand on their followers.
But counselling patience and restraint to one or the other side of the sectarian divide is not enough. A
heavier responsibility lies on the shoulders of the government which must shake off its slumber and
galvanize itself into action against the terrorist outfits whose identity is no secret and which are most
likely to be responsible for these acts of violence. Only when such a demonstration of commitment
and will is forthcoming will it sound reasonable to emphasise the need for tolerance and restraint in
the face of grave provocations. If, on the other hand, there is not much that the government can show
for itself, more and more young people will be encouraged to think that attack is the best form of
defence. These are dangerous tendencies and bode ill for the future. It is the responsibility of all
Pakistanis to resist these trends and to pray fervently that the scourge of sectarian violence is
banished from this land forever.
NOTE: THE KILLINGS CONTINUE AS WE SPEAK
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