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Understanding the plight of minorities in Pakistan – Firstpost

Understanding the plight of minorities in Pakistan – Firstpost



The small town of Parachinar, nestled in the mountains of Pakistan’s Kurram district, has become an epicentre of pain, suffering, and violence for the Shia Muslim minority in the country. For years, this community has endured systematic targeting, with little to no substantial response from the state to protect its citizens or address the root causes of these attacks.

The
violence has deepened not only the fractures between different sects within Pakistan but also highlighted the state’s disturbing inability, or unwillingness, to provide security to all of its citizens, regardless of their religious identity.  While Pakistan is a country that prides itself on its Islamic identity and heritage, the persecution of the Shia Muslim community is one of the darkest stains on its history. The people of Parachinar, a predominantly Shia town, have been subjected to numerous bombings, shootings, and massacres by extremist groups for over a decade. The state’s indifference, combined with the relentless attacks from sectarian militias, has turned Parachinar into a symbol of the country’s failure to protect its minority populations.

The narrative surrounding the Shia community in Pakistan is a tragic one. The history of sectarian violence is deeply rooted in the country’s political and social fabric. Shia Muslims in Pakistan have faced increasing attacks from Sunni extremist groups, particularly those affiliated with the Taliban and other violent factions, who consider them heretics.

For
years, the Shia minority in Parachinar, which sits on the border with Afghanistan, has faced targeted killings, bombings, and discrimination with little intervention or response from the Pakistani state. Parachinar remains one of the most vulnerable places for the Shia community. Kurram has been at the epicenter of sectarian violence, as it lies between two worlds: the largely Sunni-dominated areas of Pakistan and the Pashtun tribal areas that have been heavily influenced by extremist ideologies. In recent years, the situation in Parachinar has become increasingly dire, as attacks have grown in both frequency and scale.

One of the most horrific
attacks in recent memory took place on January 21, 2025, when a bomb explosion targeted a Shia mosque in the heart of Parachinar. Over 50 people were killed, including many women and children, while dozens more were injured. This was just the latest in a long line of attacks that have left a profound scar on the people of Parachinar. Despite such appalling acts of violence, the Pakistani government’s response has been lackluster, if not outright negligent.

While the country’s leadership regularly expresses commitment to combating terrorism and extremism, the situation in Parachinar tells a different story. The government has failed to secure the region or hold accountable those responsible for these atrocities. 
Military operations in the region have been sporadic, with little effort to address the root causes of sectarian violence.

The situation is further exacerbated by the fact that Parachinar’s Shia community remains marginalized within the broader political landscape of Pakistan. As a
minority within a predominantly Sunni country, Shia Muslims often face discrimination in political, social, and economic spheres.

The lack of political representation for the Shia community means that their voices go unheard when it comes to matters of security and justice. In addition to the lack of political will, there is also a broader sense of apathy within the Pakistani public towards the suffering of the Shia community. Sectarianism is a serious issue in Pakistan, and many Pakistanis are either indifferent to or unaware of the plight of the Shia minority. This cultural and social indifference only deepens the suffering of the people of Parachinar and other regions affected by sectarian violence.

The
rise of extremist ideologies in Pakistan, particularly after the involvement of the country in the Afghan conflict in the 1980s, has played a crucial role in the sectarian violence faced by the Shia community. The influx of radical Sunni groups into Pakistan, fuelled by the global jihadist movement, has led to the systematic targeting of Shia Muslims. These groups, many of whom are aligned with the Taliban or other militant organisations, view the Shia as a threat to their vision of Islam and are determined to eradicate them from the region.

Moreover, the failure of the Pakistani military and intelligence agencies to address the root causes of sectarian violence has allowed these extremist groups to operate with relative impunity. While the military has focused on combating terrorism in other parts of the country, it has been remarkably ineffective in dealing with the violence in Parachinar and other Shia-majority areas.

The lack of accountability for the perpetrators of sectarian violence is another critical factor in the tragedy of Parachinar. While attacks on the Shia community are often met with official condemnation, there are very few efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice. This
impunity allows extremists to continue their campaign of violence against the Shia population, knowing that they will not face any real consequences for their actions.

The victims of these attacks are often left to fend for themselves, with little support from the state or society at large. In Parachinar, families who have lost loved ones in bombings or shootings are left without compensation or justice. The injured face long-term physical and psychological scars, while the community as a whole is left to cope with the trauma of living in constant fear.

The figures speak volumes about the scale of the tragedy that has unfolded in Parachinar. From 2014 to 2024, over
1,000 people have been killed in sectarian violence in Kurram Agency alone. The attacks have only increased in frequency over the years, and the data from January 2024 to January 2025 shows a continuing upward trend in the number of fatalities. These figures are a stark reminder of the ongoing neglect of the Shia community by the Pakistani state.

The figures from January 2024 to January 2025 indicate a continuation of the tragic trend. The number of casualties in the past decade highlights the unrelenting nature of the violence against the Shia community in Parachinar. This is a community that has borne the brunt of sectarian hatred and violence, yet has received little to no protection or justice from the Pakistani state. The table below summarises the casualties resulting from sectarian violence in Parachinar and surrounding areas over the last decade:

|
 Year

|

Number of Casualties

2014

|

98

|
|

2015

|

126

|
|

2016

|

143

|
|

2017

|

165

|
|

2018

|

120

|
|

2019

|

185

|
|

2020

|

210

|
|

2021

|

243

|
|

2022

|

278

|
|

2023

|

289

|
|

 2024 – Jan 2025

|

153

|

This table, based on available data, clearly shows the devastating impact of sectarian violence on the Shia community in Parachinar, underscoring the persistent insecurity faced by the local population.

It is important to note that the suffering of Parachinar’s Shia population is not an isolated incident. Across Pakistan, the Shia community faces similar threats from extremist groups. In cities like Quetta, Karachi, and Lahore, Shia Muslims are often targeted in bombings, shootings, and other forms of violence. These attacks, though not always as concentrated as those in Parachinar, nonetheless contribute to the overall climate of fear and insecurity that pervades Shia communities throughout the country.

Furthermore, the tragedy of Parachinar is a grim reflection of the broader failure of the Pakistani state to protect its Shia minority. The lack of a comprehensive strategy to combat sectarian violence, combined with the impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators, has allowed the suffering of the Shia community to continue unabated. The Pakistani government must take responsibility for the security of all its citizens, regardless of their sect or religion. Until the state acknowledges its duty to protect the Shia community, the people of Parachinar will continue to live in fear, waiting for the justice and security they have been promised but never received.

The writer is a Research Fellow at the International Centre for Peace Studies (ICPS), New Delhi. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.



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