Sectarian terrorists have repeatedly been targeting - four attacks in the last month claimed six lives - the besieged Shia Hazara community of Quetta. After the latest attack on Saturday, the Hazaras staged a sit-in outside the Balochistan Assembly and a hunger strike outside the Quetta Press Club demanding security, arrest of the perpetrators and a meeting with the Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. They called off the protests on Wednesday after General Bajwa held a meeting with representatives of the community, telling them the State is responsible for the security of all citizens, and those who attacked the Hazaras will "suffer twice as much." The same day, the Supreme Court also took suo motu notice of relentless terrorist strikes against the community, fixing the case for hearing on May 11 at the Quetta registry of the court.
The Hazara people's suffering is a black mark on the collective conscience of this society. During the last two decades, hundreds have been killed for no other reason than their sectarian affiliation. According to the National Commission for Human Rights report of last March, between January 2012 and December 2017 as many as 509 members of the community were killed and many more injured. Their leaders though believe the casualty number is higher than reported. The provincial authorities either lack the ability or the will to effectively deal with the assailants. As a result, the hapless Hazara people have been forced to live in two ghettoized neighbourhoods. Unable to go out, many have shut down their businesses. Those with no choice but to live in Quetta cannot risk sending their children to schools or institutions of higher learning. The State has miserably failed to protect the fundamental rights of the Hazara people.
This is not the first time they have staged protests, but the first time they have managed to be heard where it matters. The Army chief certainly has the heft to hold good on the assurance he gave the protesters. His men are everywhere in the province. Various military agencies have the capacity, unmatched by their civilian counterparts, to track down the perpetrators and help bring them to justice. The civilian agencies also have an important role to play. It is good to note that Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar has issued notices to all concerned: the Balochistan government, the Frontier Constabulary, provincial chief secretary, home secretary, inspector general of police, as well as federal secretaries for interior and defence, directing them to file their reports within 10 days. Furthermore, the federal and provincial governments have been asked to submit details of the measures taken by them to ensure the security of the Hazara community, explaining the cause of previous failures, too. These interventions inspire hope of betterment in the security situation. There is nothing that cannot be done as long as there is a strong will to right a blatant wrong like the one the Hazaras have been subjected to.