Target killings in Pakistan
Encyclopedia
In Pakistan
, target killings have been a rising form of violence and have contributed to security instability in the country. They have become common and have gained attention especially in Karachi
, Pakistan's largest city and economic capital. Police and law enforcement agencies have sometimes come under criticism for their ineffectiveness in locating the perpetrators and their motives. For most of the part, target killings in Karachi have been attributed to political, religious and ethnic reasons.
play an important role in its politics
. Ethnic politics have resulted in sporadic violence throughout Karachi's history, often leading to bloody conflicts. Following the Partition of India
and the independence of Pakistan
in 1947, Muslim immigrants from areas constituting modern-day India
migrated in large numbers to the newly-created Muslim nation of Pakistan and became settled in Karachi, the historical capital of the Sindh
province. These migrants had educated, middle-class to upper class backgrounds and came from cultured families; they came to be known as Muhajir people
(Muhajir meaning "immigrant"). They dominated much of Karachi's businesses, something which was resented by a portion of the province's native Sindhi people
and radical Sindhi nationalists
. After the breakaway of East Pakistan
in 1971 and the formation of Bangladesh
, Pakistan accepted a large number of Biharis (known as "Stranded Pakistanis
") loyal to the country, trapped in Bangladesh and offered them citizenship. The Bihari migrants assimilated into the diverse Urdu-speaking Muhajir population. Some Bengalis in Pakistan
also stayed behind.
Karachi's status as a regional industrial centre attracted migrants from other parts of Pakistan as well, including Punjab, Balochistan and Pashtun
migrants from the frontier regions. Added to this were Iranians, Arabs, Central Asians as well as thousands of Afghan refugees who came to Karachi, initially displaced by the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan; some of the Afghan and Pashtun migration brought along conservative tribal culture, further intensifying ethnic and sectarian violence and also giving rise to mob culture.
Shias the main victims: in Pakistan, Shia community is the main victim of targeted killings. During the last dice years more than 3000 top Shia leaders, intellectuals, doctors and professionals have been gunned down. The terrorists who operate against Shias are mostly the religious leaders of the majority Sunni faction. In one incident, sn imam of a sunni mosque proudly confesed in the court killing of more an 30 Shias. In his view, God will reward him for killing of these inocent people, a belief inserted by Saudi backed wahabi Muslims in the Sunni doctrine.
(MQM) was founded for the political interests of the Muhajir people. Other social classes also formed their parties. Today, rivalry between groups has seen the rise of social and political chaos and a multiplication in target killings. Religious sectarian parties and Sunni-Shia conflict have also led to violence. On top of this are the drug mafia and criminal gangs, active in drugs and weapons trade.
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, target killings have been a rising form of violence and have contributed to security instability in the country. They have become common and have gained attention especially in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, Pakistan's largest city and economic capital. Police and law enforcement agencies have sometimes come under criticism for their ineffectiveness in locating the perpetrators and their motives. For most of the part, target killings in Karachi have been attributed to political, religious and ethnic reasons.
Background
Karachi is a cosmopolitan city and consists of many ethnic communities; the city's demographicsDemographics of Karachi
Karachi is the largest and most populous city in Pakistan. The population and demographic distribution in the megacity has undergone numerous changes over the past 150 years. On 14 August 1947, when it became the capital city of a new Dominion of Pakistan, its population was about 450,000 inhabitants...
play an important role in its politics
Politics of Karachi
The politics of Karachi takes place at the municipal, provincial and federal levels of the government. Karachi is a multiethnic, multilingual, multicultural and multireligious metropolitan city. The demographics of Karachi are important as most politics in Karachi is driven by ethnic politics...
. Ethnic politics have resulted in sporadic violence throughout Karachi's history, often leading to bloody conflicts. Following the Partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
and the independence of Pakistan
Pakistan Movement
The Pakistan Movement or Tehrik-e-Pakistan refers to the historical movement to have an independent Muslim state named Pakistan created from the separation of the north-western region of the Indian subcontinent, partitioned within or outside the British Indian Empire. It had its origins in the...
in 1947, Muslim immigrants from areas constituting modern-day India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
migrated in large numbers to the newly-created Muslim nation of Pakistan and became settled in Karachi, the historical capital of the Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
province. These migrants had educated, middle-class to upper class backgrounds and came from cultured families; they came to be known as Muhajir people
Muhajir people
Muhajir [literally – migrants] is a term commonly used especially by Pakistanis to describe the Muslim immigrants who chose to settle in Pakistan and shifted their domicile after partition of British India into Pakistan and India. Some had participated in the movement for creation of Pakistan in...
(Muhajir meaning "immigrant"). They dominated much of Karachi's businesses, something which was resented by a portion of the province's native Sindhi people
Sindhi people
Sindhis are a Sindhi speaking socio-ethnic group of people originating from Sindh, a province Formerly of British India, now in Pakistan. Today Sindhis that live in Pakistan belong to various religious denominations including Islam, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Christianity...
and radical Sindhi nationalists
Sindhi nationalism
Sindhi nationalism is the political expression of ethno-national consciousness of the Sindhi people, who inhabit the ethno-linguistic region of Sindh started by the Ghulam Murtaza Shah, which lies in current day Pakistan....
. After the breakaway of East Pakistan
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
in 1971 and the formation of Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, Pakistan accepted a large number of Biharis (known as "Stranded Pakistanis
Stranded Pakistanis
Stranded Pakistanis, also known as Biharis, describes the people mainly of the Bihari ethnic group currently residing in Bangladesh who immigrated to East Pakistan with the hopes of joining Pakistan but after the East Pakistan seceded and became Bangladesh were unable to re-immigrate in 1971 and...
") loyal to the country, trapped in Bangladesh and offered them citizenship. The Bihari migrants assimilated into the diverse Urdu-speaking Muhajir population. Some Bengalis in Pakistan
Bangladeshis in Pakistan
The population of Bengalis and Bangladeshis in Pakistan is said to be in millions however there is no exact figure. Different sources dub as much as between 1 - 3 million immigrants in Karachi with Bengali origin...
also stayed behind.
Karachi's status as a regional industrial centre attracted migrants from other parts of Pakistan as well, including Punjab, Balochistan and Pashtun
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
migrants from the frontier regions. Added to this were Iranians, Arabs, Central Asians as well as thousands of Afghan refugees who came to Karachi, initially displaced by the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan; some of the Afghan and Pashtun migration brought along conservative tribal culture, further intensifying ethnic and sectarian violence and also giving rise to mob culture.
Shias the main victims: in Pakistan, Shia community is the main victim of targeted killings. During the last dice years more than 3000 top Shia leaders, intellectuals, doctors and professionals have been gunned down. The terrorists who operate against Shias are mostly the religious leaders of the majority Sunni faction. In one incident, sn imam of a sunni mosque proudly confesed in the court killing of more an 30 Shias. In his view, God will reward him for killing of these inocent people, a belief inserted by Saudi backed wahabi Muslims in the Sunni doctrine.
Violence
The ethnic mix has resulted in political parties being affiliated with a specific group; the Muttahida Qaumi MovementMuttahida Qaumi Movement
Muttahida Qaumi Movement generally known as MQM, is a liberal-secular political party of Pakistan. It is generally known as a party which holds immense mobilizing potential in province of Sindh...
(MQM) was founded for the political interests of the Muhajir people. Other social classes also formed their parties. Today, rivalry between groups has seen the rise of social and political chaos and a multiplication in target killings. Religious sectarian parties and Sunni-Shia conflict have also led to violence. On top of this are the drug mafia and criminal gangs, active in drugs and weapons trade.
Victims of target killings
- This list is incomplete. Please help expand this list.
- Athar Ali (scientist)Athar Ali (scientist)Dr. Athar Ali , was a Pakistani system engineer and a rocket scientist who was murdered in Karachi on 4 October 2003. He was an expert in missile technology and was the senior scientist at the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission during the time of the development of Shaheen missile...
- Ameer Faisal Alavi
- Wali Khan BabarWali Khan BabarWali Khan Babar was a Pakistani journalist working for GEO News who was killed by MQM-A gunmen in the Liaquatabad area of Karachi. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Babar was the first journalist it had confirmed killed in a work-related death in 2011...
- Rustam Jamali
- Safdar KiyaniSafdar KiyaniDr. Prof.Safdar Ali Kiyani was a Pakistani ecologist, botanist, professor and the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Balochistan, which is located in Quetta, Pakistan.-Murder:...
- Khalid ShahanshahKhalid ShahanshahKhalid Shahanshah was security chief of Benazir Bhutto's residence. Bilawal House Security in-charge Khalid Shahanshah, was also personnel bodyguard and Chief of Security of slain Pakistan Peoples Party chairperson Benazir Bhutto. Khalid Shahanshah was also the right hand of the current president...
- Hussain Ali YousafiHussain Ali YousafiHussain Ali Yousafi was an ethnic Hazara politician in Balochistan, Pakistan. Yousafi was chairman of the Hazara Democratic Party and a member of the Quetta city council...
- Waja Karimdad
- Athar Ali (scientist)
See also
- Gun politics in Pakistan
- Missing persons (Pakistan)Missing persons (Pakistan)Missing persons is the term used in Pakistan to refer to the ostensibly hundreds or thousands of people in Pakistan who have been forcefully disappeared. Reports of forced abductions by the Pakistani state first began arising in 2001, in the aftermath of the United States invasion of Afghanistan...
- July 2011 Karachi target killings