We are appalled by the brutal killings of Hazara shia community in Balochistan, the beleaguered community has been at the receiving end of the wrath of extremist elements and biased treatment by the state. We stand in solidarity with the community as they mourn their loved ones. We request immediate action against the perpetrators of the heinous act. The International Human Rights Council (IHRC-HK ) demands the formation of a high powered Judicial  commission to identify and probe  the security lapses in the security measures that resulted in the attack. IHRC-HK urges the state to implement stringent measures to discourage terrorism in the country. The continuous inaction and failure of state to protect the Hazara community is deplorable and is the manifestation of  the inefficiency of the state apparatus. The IHRC-HK demands that the victim of the carnage be compensated immediately, as the state has failed to perform its duty to safeguard the life and property of the vulnerable community.

The incessant bloodbath of the Hazara has been ongoing in both the neighboring countries- Pakistan and Afghanistan and is more pronounced in Balochistan region a border region with Afghanistan in the East and Iran in North East  

On 12 April 2019 At least 20 people were killed and 48 injured in a blast believed to be targeting members of the Hazara community in Quetta's Hazarganji market in the morning. There have been controversial accounts on how the blast occurred as per official statements an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was planted in a gunny sack filled with potatoes, other accounts claim it to be a suicide attack.

  Lashkar –e- Jhangvi (LeJ) a proscribed militant organization and Daesh have claimed the responsibility for the attack threatening more attacks on the Hazara community. Daesh also released a photo of the alleged suicide bomber.

Between 700,000 to 900,000 Hazra lives in Balochistan a majority of them in Quetta, the provincial capital. The government had been unable to stop the carnage that goes unabated. Balochistan in general, and Mastung city in particular, has become a killing field of the Hazaras, as the community is targeted by the Sunni Muslim extremist militant group, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.  Balochistan’s capital of Quetta has also been in a grip of violence.

Interestingly the  bloodshed came two days after authorities freed Ramzan Mengal, a top leader of  Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), According to Quetta police chief Abdul Razzaq Cheema, Mengal had been detained for three months suspected of public order offences. The LeJ has worked both with al Qaeda and Islamic State in Pakistan and has claimed several coordinated attacks in Baluchistan against shia minority.

 Hazara community is staging a sit in against the attack to protest the attack. Despite numerous rounds of talks with provincial government officials, the protesters have refused to end their sit-in until they get a guarantee from the federal government that terrorist attacks won’t be repeated against Hazara community.

The sit-ins have unfortunately become a regular in the community’s social calendar, who have to resort to protest to bring their plight to the foray in the face of a media blackout. The community also held a stage in 2013 when more than 130 Hazaras were massacred. The protestors sat under the open sky with 84 dead bodies for days, braving sub-zero temperature and rough weather to demand justice. The stage in was called off after assurance from the Chief of Army General Bajwa.

Hazaras have been frequently targeted by Taliban and Islamic State militants and other Sunni Muslim militant groups in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. They have been heavily targeted in Afghanistan in attacks claimed by an affiliate of Islamic State.  509 Hazara people has been killed in terror related incidents in last 5 years alone in Quetta. As per the official figures since 2001, 2603 Shia have reportedly been killed, half of them being Hazara Shias. The mode of killing in most cases has been through target killings, mass shootings and suicide attacks. Even the state dismisses Hazaras as an ethnic and religious minority whose blood is cheaper than the majority Sunni populace. Despite the staggering numbers of deaths the Pakistani media largely remains apathetic towards the wronged community.

According to statistics issued by the United Nations, militant groups working under the patronage of the Taliban have killed more than 1,500 Hazara Shias in Pakistan in the past decade. Continual violence perpetrated against Hazaras, in the form of suicide attacks, targeted killings and bombings, has forced them to live in restricted areas, which has further led to economic difficulties for the minority.

The persecution of Hazaras had existed for centuries, one of the main factors in Hazaras’ continued persecution is their Shi’a religious faith, their distinctive ethnic origins, as well as their having separate economic and political roots.

The systematic targeting of Hazara community has many facets: local rivalries, sectarian sentiment, regional dynamics and religious beliefs. Despite the incessant killings no perpetrator has ever been arrested, while the killer remains scot free the Hazara individual’s freedom of movement is restrained they are confined to remain in a colony and cannot enter or exit the colony without submitting their Identity cards. Though ostensibly on the pretext of security such measures have only added to the frustration and not the security as was demonstrated in the recent attack.

There is an urgent need for concerted action to root out extremism, the state inaction and apathy towards the minority group must stop.