Sectarianism rears its ugly, ugly head

Wars fought and conflicts initiated in the name of religion have mostly been motivated by political rivalries or crude materialistic interests. This is as true about the medieval crusades as it is about the Afghan jihad launched over three decades back. The ongoing sectarian terrorism in Pakistan has been widely interpreted as the offshoot of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. While the real actors behind the conflicts of the type benefited from the conflagrations they had ignited, common people suffered and countries were destabilised in the process.

Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan which are of great strategic importance have been chosen by communal terrorists as their hunting ground. The KKH is the sole land route which provides China and Central Asia an access to the Persian Gulf. It is therefore of crucial economic value for Pakistan. Any sectarian upheaval in the region hits the country’s vital interests. The ongoing conflict in Gilgit-Baltistan is the sequel of the February incident when a terrorist group stopped buses and vans on the KKH, verified the identity of the passengers before killing 16 members of the Shia community. Over the last few weeks, tensions continued to mount in the region leading to the tragic events of Tuesday when nine innocent persons were killed near Chilas by a mob and another five died in Gilgit city. Unless the government acts firmly, more innocent people across the sectarian divide are likely to be targeted. The region has to be completely peaceful to serve as a major trade route in days to come

Balochistan is another sensitive province where a terrorist communal network continues to target the Hazaras. While the administration has fully concentrated on the Baloch militants, the sectarian terrorists continue to act with impunity. The province has also been used as a launching pad against Iran by Jundullah which is a sectarian-cum-ethnic terrorist network. The Sunnis and Shias have lived together for centuries with peace. Even now, voters hardly ever take into consideration the sectarian background of the candidates. Both communities are duly represented in the army and other vital institutions. Sectarian terrorism has to be crushed with an iron hand to ensure stability and maintain peace in Pakistan.

Pakistan Today