Sectarianism and its consequences

Apparently crude materialistic interests and political rivalries motivate wars and conflicts initiated in the name of religion and sectarianism.

This is as true about the knightly fights as it is about the Afghan jihad launched in the late 70s against Soviet Union. Some believe that the ongoing sectarian terrorism in Pakistan has been the consequence of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.

Common people suffered and countries were destabilized in the process while the real actors behind the differences benefited from the infernos they had fired up.

Communal militants have chosen Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan as their hunting ground, which are of great strategic importance.

The Karakoram Highway (KKH) is the sole land route which provides China and Central Asia an access to the Persian Gulf. Hence, it is of vital economic value for the country. Any sectarian disturbances in the area leave long-lasting impacts on the country’s vital wellbeing.

The latest wave of sectarian violence in Gilgit-Baltistan is the continuation of the February incident when a militant outfit stopped vehicles on the Silk Road, verifying the identity of the travellers before killing 16 members of the Shia sect.

Tensions continued to rise in the region leading to the tragic events of Tuesday when nine innocent persons were killed near Chilas by a mob and another five died in Gilgit city.

More innocent people across the sectarian divide are likely to be affected if not the government taken proper steps.

The region has to be entirely peaceful to serve as a major trade route in days to come unless the government acts firmly.

Meanwhile, Balochistan is another sensitive region where militant outfits continue to target the Hazara tribe (Shia sect). The sectarian groups keep on working with impunity in the province while the administration has fully concentrated on the Baloch militants.

Jundullah, the sectarian-cum-ethnic terrorist network, is using Balochistan as a launching pad against Iran.

Both Sunnis and Shias have been living together for centuries with peace in the region but these groups abruptly changed the situation for their vested interests.

People hardly ever take into consideration the sectarian background of their representatives in the voting process.

All the major institutions in the country have equal representation. The government should crush the sectarian terrorism with iron hands if it wants to ensure stability and maintain peace in Pakistan.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=18516

Posted by Faisal Farooq on Apr 10 2012. Filed under National, Opinion, Pakistan, Society. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.