pakistan0614_ForUplaod

2010: Escalating Violence
Sunni extremist killings of Shia Hazara escalated in 2010. That year, at least 80 Shia, most
of them Hazara, were killed in Balochistan. 73
Attacks included the gunning down of groups of civilians, suicide bombings, and targeted
killings of individual Shia. Virtually all segments of the Hazara community came under attack.
Targeted Killing of Dr. Nadir Khan, January 2010
On January 12, 2010, LeJ gunmen shot and killed Dr. Nadir Khan and his driver, Shabbir
Husain, in Quetta. 74 Husain’s brother, Mubahir Husain, told Human Rights Watch:
Dr. Khan had received many threats prior to the attack by the LeJ and had
lodged a complaint with the police authorities. The government has, of
course, failed to arrest the killers.” As Shias, my family and I receive threats
all the time and have complained to the authorities several times but no
action has ever been taken. The members of our community feel vulnerable
and insecure and live in a constant state of anxiety in Quetta. We feel we
are not given any rights. We feel we are the walking dead. 75
Suicide Bombing of Hospital, Quetta, April 2010
On April 16, 2010, a suicide bomber killed 12 people and injured 47, including a journalist
and two police officials, in an attack on Quetta’s Civil Hospital. 76 The attack took place
after the body of Ashraf Zaidi, a Shia bank manager, shot dead earlier in the day by Sunni
extremists, was brought to the hospital. The attackers evidently targeted the hospital
knowing that members of the Shia community would be gathering at the hospital in the
aftermath of Zaidi’s killing. LeJ claimed responsibility for the attack. 77
73 “Timeline: Hazara killings in Balochistan,” Dawn, January 11, 2013, http://www.dawn.com/news/777973/timeline-hazarakillings-in-balochistan
(accessed May 2, 2014).
74 Ibid.
75 Human Rights Watch interview with Mubashir Hussain, December 18, 2011, Quetta.
76 “Lashkar-e-Jhangvi responsible for Quetta blast,”The Express Tribune, April 16, 2010,
http://tribune.com.pk/story/7139/ten-dead-in-quetta-blast/ (accessed May 2, 2014).
77 Ibid.
“WE ARE THE WALKING DEAD” 22