THE embers of #hate are once again being stoked. To prevent history from being repeated and innocent blood spilled in the name of religion, the government must act urgently and decisively.
The PPP’s parliamentary leader in the Senate, @sherryrehman sounded the alarm in the upper house on Friday when she brought up the intensifying anti-#Shia campaign and described it as “extremely shocking that this issue is not being raised”.
The state’s silence is indeed inexplicable. It appears to have wilfully chosen to close its eyes to this sinister development. Recently in Karachi, three ‘Azmat-i-Sahaba’ rallies were taken out on successive days — by #Deobandi and #Barelvi organisations, and third by #AhleHadith
Although much progress has been made by Pakistan in dismantling militant organisations and curbing terror financing, rallies by #sectarian elements do not make for good optics, nor give the impression of a state in control.
It first manifested itself around the time of the debate over Punjab’s divisive Tahaffuz-i-Bunyad-i-Islam bill. Then during #Muharram, blasphemy cases were filed against at least 40 Shias in connection with speeches at their religious gatherings.
#Sectarian violence blighted over two decades of this country’s existence, claimed thousands of lives and drove away qualified professionals from Pakistan; around 70 #doctors were killed, mainly on sectarian grounds, between 2010 and 2014 alone. #targetkilling
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