Dawn: Being a Shia is not a crime, but in Pakistan it now carries a death sentence.
The 24 Shias from Kohat and Orakzai agency, who were summarilyexecuted by the militants near the Pak-Iran border, have now been added to the list of thousands already murdered for their beliefs by their fellow Muslims. As the death toll mounts, confidence in the State’s ability to safeguard life and property dwindles further.
Last week, militants attacked the State and the people across Pakistan. It started with the strikes against the militant hideouts in Pakistan’s troubled tribal areas, which were stated to have killed several dozen militants.
The government also claimed to have killed several Baloch militants in raids in Dera Bugti. A series of attacks on armed forces and civilians followed.
Two colonels died in an ambush near Islamabad. Several other members of armed forces died in smaller attacks. And then came the two major attacks, one on Karachi Airport and the other on Shia pilgrims near Pak-Iran border, which have left over 50 civilians and an equal number of suspected militants dead.
Categories: Asia