Letter from Quetta: ‘I too had a dream, but being a Pakistani Shia, it will remain a dream’ – by S. Batool

Editor’s Note: In this time of distress and misfortune, LUBP stands with all oppressed people, and demands of the government to ensure equal treatment of its citizens. It seems that after covert complicity with the terrorists, the state of Pakistan has now decided to overtly deprive the ‘undesirable groups’ of even basic amenities of life. This heart-wrenching narration of the treatment meted out to Shia-Hazara students of Quetta shows that the state is not only indirectly involved in genocide of Shias through its proxies, but its policies are now bordering on overt apartheid. Not much is left to say, just as not much is left for the minorities in Pakistan to live for, but one statement can suffice: ‘Pakistan, you are a failed state’.

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It takes a thousand voices to tell a single story, but today here’s the single voice to represent the thousand voices.
Unlike routine days, my phone beeped several times that made me wake up while I was asleep. I checked my phone and my breath was taken away,
‘Plz ask —- If she is alright, Did — go to university today? , Is —- Alright? Make sure if —- is alright…’
The darkest day to be remembered in the history of Pakistan; it was a remote control bomb blast on BUITEMS University Bus. This blast took away 6 lives leaving behind 25+ severely injured talents.
University faculty didn’t utter a single word in condemnation, this was not enough to cut apart an already wounded community that within a two-day gap, another University ‘Sardar Bahadur Khan Women’s University, Balochistan’ arranged a separate University bus for Shia Hazara students.

I was in the University that day, rumors circulated that Hazara students are supposed to travel by a separate bus – this was ordered on the call of other communities’ request to the VC of the University. I didn’t doubt VC to be such a sap-head to act upon the call, however, my expectations dusted and we were asked to travel by the separate bus.
Agony hooked my mind. I felt very much alone, was over-whelmed by grief, and I expected sympathy. I found no sympathy; I saw only faces of my co-Hazara students as badly mangled as mine. I looked around, hundreds of eyes were staring. Cruel, pitiless stares. Angry stares, unfeeling cold stares.
You are alone here! I murmured to myself and got on the bus provided. That day ended with utter chaos as we then landed to our places with a bang on our heads. Can they be this selfish? I could have never imagined.

Nevertheless, the next day’s sun arose with which I witnessed courage that ran chills up and down my spine because by then I had decided not to give up and stand against the melting pot of apparent Muslims, but actually terrorist jihadists attacking my faith and those cruel stares leaving me alone the previous day.

“University Buses are jammed for Alamdar Road (where Shia Hazara students reside) “was yet another blow within 2 days. This cracked up my nerves. No transport-No University-No Education, Period.
I frozed, dazed and pinned down. My mind screamed, No! Education is my right!

It was 18 June, 2012 and today it is 11 July 2012 and we are still sitting at homes as no transport
facility is provided to us. Is there anyone who could show up a fraction of humanity? , Who could feel that we are also Pakistani and we have the rights to enjoy equal freedom in Pakistan?

Hear me O’ the failed Government; jailing us is not the solution, why don’t you jail those LeJ rats whose residents are all known to you?
They attacked on the University bus, you jammed it for us.
They attacked the Passenger bus for Iran, you jammed that.
Tomorrow they will attack us at our homes; will you then shift us to some mountain cage?

O the silent spectators/Government/ISI agencies , wake up, wake up from deep slumber, Today it is us, Tomorrow it will be your own daughters and sons , it is only the matter of interest – This is the only cry of my soul , a deep rumble, shattering the predawn silence.
I once had a dream, a dream of being among the graduates marching around the pavilion in caps and gowns – But being a Shia , it seems it will remain a dream.

Pen it down and know it, we are motivated to exist and resist before the inhuman acts of all the veiled and un-veiled terrorists.

I am Leaving now to slay the foe
Fight the battles, high and low
I’ve grown my wings, I want to fly
Seize my victories where they lie
I want to shake the dead souls
though there are dangers , there are fears
Carve my niche, sew my seams.

A hopeful and hopeless Shia Hazara student.

LUBP

VIEW : Hazaras and the poison against them — I — Liaquat Ali Hazara

The writer’s vague understanding of the genuineness of the Hazaras’ chronicles vis-a-vis their ethno-religious persecution is disparagingly weak

There are more fools in the world than there are people — Heinrich Heine.

After reading the entire article of Surat Khan Marri in Daily Times (June 23, 2012),I realized that the article is filled with contemptuous and irrational annotations about the Pakistani Hazaras. The writer’s vague understanding of the genuineness of the Hazaras’ chronicles vis-a-vis their ethno-religious persecution is disparagingly weak. Similarly, he significantly lacks the potential to do thorough research about the subject before writing. His stark shallowness casts doubts about his credentials of addressing an issue in an otherwise professional tone. I am not at all surprised the way he has sketched the entire ethno-religious scenario of Quetta compared with the subjugation of the Hazaras in that there are hate and conspiracy mongers all around who play into the hands of others. My recent article about the role of intelligence agencies and government functionaries, especially in Quetta, to pit the Hazaras against the Pashtuns, the Baloch, the Punjabis and vice versa, denotes the former’s manoeuvrings from a different perspective (see http://liaquatalihazara.wordpress.com/2012/06/22/pakistan-islamic-or-moderate-islamic-state/).

Arguably, they strive to sow the seeds of hatred among brotherly nations of Balochistan who have been living there with exemplary peace for centuries. Let us scrutinise the write-up of the above said columnist scientifically to ascertain its weight.

In the first paragraph, Marri tried to create ambiguities as if the Hazaras were not of Mongol origin. There are numerous authentic sources for ready reference to verify their ancestral genealogy but the proceeding passage(s) are quoted to correct his understanding and knowledge about his claims. The Encyclopaedia of the World Muslims: tribes, castes and communities, volume 2 and Encyclopaedia of the Stateless Nations, Ethnic and National Groups around the world, volume II D-K have clearly described the lineal descent of the Hazaras as Mongol. Genghis Khan or the Great Khan was also born in a Mongol tribe (Herald Lamb’s book on Genghis Khan: Emperor of All Men).

The Hazaras, contrary to his views, clinched the top 11 out of 16 posts in Afghanistan’s last year’s competitive examination, which may be ascertained from the official website of the country. The writer further shows his failure to confirm the entire population of Afghanistan at present, which could have been sought through reliable literary sources.

No census has taken place in Afghanistan since 1971, hence it is difficult to verify the exact number of people living there. However, the Central Intelligence Agency’s estimate of 2001’s Afghanistan population has been quoted in Far East and Australasia 2003, p.79-84 as 26,813,057. In view of the quoted figure, all the nationalities of Afghanistan agreed at the Bonn Conference, 2002, to accept the Hazara population as 19-20 percent, which accounts for 5,362,611. It is needless to mention that the Hazaras successfully secured 54 seats in the previous general elections in Afghanistan.

The abuse of the word community for the Hazaras must be repealed as they have been officially recognised as the second largest ethnicity in Afghanistan. The writer needs to enhance his understanding of the term and in that, he could have substituted the word community with that of nation. The Hazaras have always had a pivotal role in making Afghanistan a prosperous country. Evidently, the chains of educational establishments and basic health units in Hazara-inhabited areas of the country and the inclination of people towards education have escaped the writer’s attention. Generous Hazaras living overseas finance the smooth functioning and maintenance of these facilities. Besides, Bamyan was declared the most peaceful province in Afghanistan by the UN in 2008 while over 50 percent of students studying in Kabul University are Hazaras.

Wikipedia and other reliable sources reveal that the Hazaras, before the brutal regime of Abdul Rehman in Afghanistan, constituted 65 percent of the population of the country, which, by any standards, was mammoth. However, the wars between the Hazaras and the then despot king, Abdul Rehman, culminated in the former’s ethnic cleansing and severe persecution to the extent that the captives were sold off to others as slaves. These mass-scale human rights violations also drove the Hazaras off their native land to neighbouring countries, viz. Pakistan, Iran, India and Tajikistan, etc. However, there is no credible proof to indicate that the Hazaras may have been sold to the Baloch. The writer has further attempted to oversimplify the historical details as though the Hazaras, who were sold as slaves to the Baloch, managed to develop contacts and interaction with others across the border into far-flung and dilapidated areas of central Afghanistan. It must be remembered, however, that the Hazaras were forcibly driven out of their native land at the time of war in the 1880s. As a result, the social, financial and political subjugation of the Hazaras compelled them to move to the then colonial British India. A large number of them started their lives afresh in Quetta while others moved further up towards the northern parts of India.

The writer’s erroneous information on Balochistan and the Baloch in this region portrays a vivid dichotomy between his research and analytical approach towards the subject. Never mind the Baloch origins and their migration into presently known Balochistan, but certainly most of the Baloch tribes are still living their lives as nomads in remote areas of the province, who keep travelling far across the province throughout the year. Readers are invited to ponder how the nomads could afford to bargain slaves’ rates when they themselves live below the poverty line. Similar to that, how could the enslaved Hazara boys and girls (as he claims), have developed interactions and contacts in the 1880s onwards in Afghanistan when the two Afghan ethnicities were at war? Surat Khan Marri, while writing about the extremities of the wars of the 1880s, inclines to overlook the feasibility of contacting someone hundreds of miles away or building interactions without the availability of modern telecommunication facilities.

The readers may remember that Pakistan until 1971 was run under the two units formula, which constituted the presently independent state of Bangladesh as East Pakistan and the rest of the country as West Pakistan. The four provinces in Pakistan prevailed after the independence of Bangladesh in 1971.

The cognizant readers know better and shall agree with the point that the army, be it British or Pakistani, has to follow strict rules and regulations of their organisations where nepotism or favouritism bear no meaning when it comes to recruiting commissioned officers. One is also aware that until some years ago, the Inter-Services Selection Board (ISSB) maintained two-tier selection processes for all interested candidates wishing to join the Pakistan army. A regional office was set up in the province’s capital while the main offices were in Karachi/Lahore. They would recruit capable youths to serve the country as well as representing it internationally. Hazaras, having the guts and talents coupled with diligence and hard work, would be selected from Balochistan. We are proud to have produced talented people in all walks of life, including the army. The preoccupied column writer has again tried to overstep the historical facts as he deliberately blurred this episode. General Musa Khan Hazara rose to the rank of commander-in-chief in the Pakistan army, which is equivalent to the post and prestige of the chief of army staff (COAS). He is the only Balochistani who holds this honour. Sherbat Ali Changezi is the only Balochichistani army officer who rose to the rank of air marshal and fought the two wars against India in 1965 and 1971. Besides, Saira Batool is the only Balochistani Hazara female pilot in the Pakistan army who is trained to fly aircraft.

(To be continued)

The writer is a London-based freelance journalist, and the chairperson of a political organisation, known as Hazara United Movement (HUM)

Daily Times

Two including Imam Bargah cleric beheaded in Quetta

By Our Correspondent

Published: July 11, 2012

Bodies found from Mian Gundi area, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed responsibility.

QUETTA: Two bodies, including one identified of an Imam Bargah prayer leader, have been recovered from the Mian Gundi area on the outskirts of Quetta on Wednesday.

According to the police, some people informed the police about the presence of the bodies in a mountain near Mian Gundi area. Officials rushed to the spot and cordoned off the area after discovering the bodies.

The bodies were shifted to the Bolan Medical Teaching Hospital for an autopsy.

“They were slaughtered and beheaded in a brutal manner,” hospital sources said adding that their ages ranged between 28-30 years of age.

They were identified as leader of Satellite Town Imam Bargah Maulana Nour Ali Nour and Syed Haseeb Abad Zaidi, a resident of Sirki Road, Quetta.

Sources said the men had been identified by the slips found on their bodies, in which the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) claimed responsibility for the killing.

Relatives of Haseeb told the media that he had been kidnapped from Satellite Town around 19 days ago.

“The kidnappers had demanded a ransom of Rs1.9 million and we paid them Rs1.5 million but then they demanded a million more,” said the family.

The Epxress Tribune

منطقه قلعه فتوح ریشخور شهر کابل بالای

آپ ایک درزی ہیں۔۔۔

سجاد حسین چنگیزی

آخری وقت اشاعت: پير 9 جولائ 2012 ,‭ 15:41 GMT 20:41 PST

ہزارہ شیعہ کے ساتھ جو کچھ ہو رہا ہے وہ سب کے سامنے ہے

علی عباس جلالپوری کی کتاب میں ڈاکٹر سگمنڈ فرائیڈ کا ایک لطیفہ ہے ۔ ارے صاحب، یہودی فرائیڈ با لکل کافر ہے اور جنت میں بھی نہیں جائے گا (خیر جنت جانے کا اُس کافر کو چنداں شوق بھی نہیں)۔ جلالپوری صاحب سے بھی آپ کو پرخاش سہی لیکن لطیفہ سننے میں کیا حرج ہے؟

کہتے ہیں کسی زمانے میں، کسی علاقے میں کوئی قبیلہ آباد تھا جن کی وجہ شہرت اُ ن کی عدالت پسندی ، قانون پرستی اور قانون کا بے لچک نفاذ تھا۔ قانون پر عمل درآمد اُن میں اس قدر سختی سے رائج تھا کہ قبیلے کے سردار کی ذات بھی اٰس بےلچک اور بلا مصلحت نفاذ سے مبرا نہیں تھی۔ اب ہوا یہ کہ ایک دن میاں لوہار نے ایک بندہ خدا کا خون کر دیا۔سو اجلاس ہوا، کمیٹی بیٹھی، اور جیسا کہ متوقع تھا، اتفاق ِ رائے سے لوہار کو سزائے موت سنا دی گئی اور لوہار کو پھانسی دینے کے لیے ایک مخصوص دن کا انتخاب کیا گیا۔

اتفا ق دیکھئے کے جن دنوں میاں لوہار جیل کی کو ٹھڑی میں اپنی پھانسی کا انتظار کر رہے تھے، اطلاع موصول ہوئی کہ ایک اور قبیلہ حملے کی تیاری میں مصروف ہے اور عنقریب اِس قبیلے پر دھاوا بول دے گا۔

مزید پتہ چلا کی میاں لوہا ر قبیلے کے واحد لوہار رہ گئے تھے ۔ قبیلے کے سب بڑے بوڑھے ، مُلّا ، قاضی، فوجی سب ہی بڑے پریشان ہوئے ۔ ایک طرف عزّت و عصمت، قانون کی پاسداری کا سوال جو قبیلے کی امتیازی صفت اور وجہ نیک نامی تھی اور دوسری طرف جنگ کے خطرے کے پیش ِ نظر واحد لوہار کی ضرورت، جس نے تلوار ، نیزے ، بھالے اور خنجر ڈھالنے تھے۔ سب شش و پنج میں تھے کہ کیا کیا جائے؟ نظریۂ ضرورت کا سب کو شدّت سے احساس ہوا۔ لیکن قبیلے میں عقلمند لوگوں کی کمی نہ تھی سو دوبارہ مُلّا ، قاضی ، فوجی اور سردار سر جوڑ کر بیٹھے، طویل گفت و شنید ہوئی اور گھنٹوں کے سوچ بچار کے بعد فیصلہ کیا گیا کہ چونکہ قبیلے میں صرف ایک لوہار ہے جبکہ چار درزی ہیں اور پھانسی اور قانون پر عمل در آمد بھی ضروری ہے۔ لہٰذا میاں لوہار کو چھوڑ کر ایک درزی کو پھانسی پر چڑھا دیا گیا۔

جب جب نظریۂ ضرورت کی بات چلتی ہے، جب قانون پرستی، آزاد عدلیہ اور بے لچک انصاف کا چرچا ہونے لگتا ہے، تب تب مجھے یہ لطیفہ یاد آتا ہے۔

جب جب جیلوں سے ’لوہاروں‘ کو کبھی پارلیمنٹ، کبھی کسی ضروری جگہ مذاکرات اور اہم گفت و شنید کے لیے ہیلی کاپٹر میں لے جایا جاتا ہے، نہ جانے کیوں میں الماری کے اندر سے مٹّی تلے دبے جلالپوری صاحب کی اِس کتاب کو جھاڑ پُونچھ کر نکالتا ہوں۔ شاید اس لیے نہیں کہ کافر اور یہودی فرائیڈ کے اس لطیفہ سے کسی ’مومن مسلمان‘ کو کوئی نتیجہ مل سکتا ہے بلکہ ہزارہ شیعہ دوستوں سے میری بات چیت ہوتی رہتی ہے جو آج کل حیرت، وحشت اور مایوسی کے مِلے جُلے احساسات کے ساتھ بار بار پوچھتے ہیں ’آخر ہمارا قصور کیا ہے؟‘

میں صرف انھیں بتانا چاہتا ہوں کہ آپ میاں لوہار نہیں، آپ ایک ’درزی‘ ہیں!

BBC Urdu

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