Syed Haider Raza Mehdi
They are said to have been part of the great Mongol hordes of Changez Khan as they swooped down from Central Asia into South Asia!
Now mostly living in the heartland of Afghanistan and contestably comprising berween 9% to 20% of Afghanistan’s population, the Hazaras as they are known have a history of being violently persecuted, because of their religous beliefs!
From being serfs and living in slave like conditions to the highest political offices in Afghanistan and an occasional high military office in Pakistan, Gen. Musa being one, these people have been over centuries been repeatedly subjected to persecution, violence and mass killings both in Afghanistan and in Pakistan, where they number about half a million, mostly in and around Quetta.
Converted to 12 Imam Shiaism during the Safavid rule in 16th Century Iran and living in predominantly Sunni Afghanistan and later Pakistan, they have been singularly targeted because of their religious beliefs and their distinctive physical features distinguishing them from non Hazaras!
Their targetted killings in Pakistan and of other Shias have been the natural consequence of the terrible, violent, obscurantist, exclusive, militant interpretation of Islam adopted by extremist groups, funded by petrodollars, mainstreamed by Gen. Zia ul Haq and violently propagated by militant preachers originating from the terror following the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan and the Saudi Iran proxy war, both in that calamitous year of 1979.
The Hazaras of all communities are the most vulnerable living in an extremely hostile environment in Quetta, Baluchistan, because of the extremist sectarian militant outfits that appear to operate with impunity in a province which in all manner of speaking has been under strict military control for over 20 years.
Hence it is extremely strange for such a terrible, tragic, cruel, heartbreaking incident to take place in supposedly the most militarized province and city of Pakistan.
Where is the State?
Where are the Security agencies?
Where is Prime Minister Imran Khan?
Where is the PM who would tweet and roar and shout at the then Prime Ministers for their indifference, their lack of empathy, their lack of sympathy, their lack of courage and spine when the Hazaras were earlier targetted by sectarian terrorists?
And all our “brave” PM could come up with was a pitiful tweet? A Tweet?
He should be ashamed of himself!
Some say he was advised against travelling because it would be a security risk!
A security risk?
He should be ashamed of himself if he listened to this advice. He should have said “I’m going, you take care of security” boarded his plane and been there the same or next day.
What sort of PM are you Mr. Khan?
Where’s your courage?
Where’s your Spine?
If ever the Nation wanted you to grasp a leadership moment, it was now!
If nothing else, you could have helped wipe their tears and shared their sorrow!
What a fall, PM!