Sectarianism in Pakistan: Two developments in different directions

Daily Times, April 3, 2006
Young people ready to stop sectarianism
By Ali Waqar

LAHORE: Pakistan’s younger generations are ready to stop sectarianism in the country and promote tolerance, respect for other people’s beliefs, literacy and recreational activities, students from various educational institutions said on Sunday.

Participating in a dialogue on ‘Sectarianism in Pakistan’, which was arranged by Bargad (a non-government organisation working with youth) at Fatima Shafi Lecture Theatre of the National College of Arts, students and other people present discussed the violence between Shias and Sunnis of Pakistan in the past two decades.

The students were concerned about the government’s role in sectarianism, saying the state should focus on keeping religion and belief private. They were also concerned about the extra-judicial killings that were being used to end sectarianism, the new trend of suicide bombings and the role of the state and its institutions, especially the judiciary and police.

Azmat Abbas, journalist; Masud Aziz, Crime Investigation Agency superintendent of police; Omer Virk, CIA deputy superintendent of police and in charge of the Anti-Terrorism Cell; Bargad’s Sabiha Shaheen and several parents of the victims of sectarian violence shared their views with the students who belonged to Government College University Lahore, Punjab University, NCA and other educational institutions.

The students were interested in the topic and asked many questions including when sectarianism started in Pakistan. They said religion was a private matter and debated and criticised the role of the state and law enforcement agencies in not managing the issue while police officials at the dialogue gave their point of view and defended their position.

Highlighting some research Azmat Abbas told the students that about 892 people had been killed and 1,649 had been injured in 295 sectarian incidents in the country from 2000 to 2005.

He said that according to reports 19 incidents of sectarian violence occurred in 2000 in which 46 people were killed and 61 were injured, 102 incidents of sectarian violence occurred in 2001 in which 84 people were killed and 115 were injured, 44 incidents of sectarian violence occurred in 2002 in which 84 people were killed and 115 were injured, 39 incidents of sectarian violence occurred in 2003 in which 126 people were killed and 185 were injured, 20 incidents of sectarian violence occurred in 2004 in which 218 people were killed and 638 were injured and 71 incidents of sectarian violence occurred in 2005 in which 207 people were killed and 330 were injured.

He said that according to police records 425 cases had been registered in the past couple of years in which 311 people had been booked while 114 cases remained untraced.

The dialogue also discussed religious and political parties and their factions that led to sectarianism in Pakistan. Azmat Abbas highlighted the background and connections of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Fiqah Jafria and their factions including the Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistan, Jaish Muhammad Pakistan and others.

Abbas talked about how the state supported these organisations or became the tool of certain state elements. He also pointed out the issues of foreign involvement and funding to the organisations during the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Afghan War, the Arab connection and the European link.

He also highlighted internal and external factors including a military in power, failure of democracy, Ziaul Haq’s efforts to Islamise Pakistan, separate electorate, lack of political will, Pakistan’s Afghan and Kashmir policies, Iran-Iraq war, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and 9/11.

He said the victims of sectarian violence, both Shia and Sunni, had suffered equally and he also focussed on the role of individuals, especially the youth, to end sectarianism in Pakistan.

SP Masud Aziz and DSP Omer Virk talked about the role of the police and their experiences in nabbing sectarian activists. They also talked about how they traced the networks of sectarian organisations, their escape into Afghanistan and enjoying Taliban support and Pakistan’s judicial system.

They also admitted to police being technically unequipped to compete with the highly trained and heavily armed sectarian activists and organisations. They said many of them were also involved in other criminal activities such as robberies and murders. They said most activists were illiterate and worked for money.

The families of several victims of the Mominpura incident, which took place several years ago, shared their grievances and told the students how police harassed the victims’ families rather than giving them justice.

Sabiha Shaheen said the number of youth in the country was about 35 million and that they should channel their energies constructively.

Daily Times, April 3, 2006
Government might allow Sipah-e-Sahaba activities
By Mohammad Imran

ISLAMABAD: The government might relax some restrictions on banned militant organisation Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan and allow it to commence political activities in a “very low profile” under the name Millat-e-Islamia Pakistan, sources told Daily Times.

Sources said the decision was made after a recent meeting involving officials from law enforcement agencies, the National Crisis Management Cell and the Sipah. Officials have placed two major conditions on the Sipah to resume even low-key political activities, they said. “The government has stressed that the Sipah’s leaders cannot incite sectarian violence in any way nor abuse any person in a public meeting,” they added.

“Authorities decided to relax some restrictions on the Sipah after these assurances and allow it to restart political activities under the umbrella of Millat-e-Islamia Pakistan.”

Sources said Brig (r) Javed Iqbal Cheema, director general of the National Crisis Management Cell, had earlier arranged talks between the Sipah and Pakistan Islami Tehrik and security officials to stop sectarian violence. “The director general formed a committee consisting of six Sipah and Pakistan Islami Tehrik (PIT) members to set up a socially acceptable code of conduct for the organisations,” they added. “PIT members did not participate in the committee’s meeting and thus a decision wasn’t reached.”

After the committee’s failure, Dr Khadim Hussain Dhilon asked the president to allow the Sipah to restart political activities, sources said. They hinted that it was likely the government would not increase the duration of Millat-e-Islamia President Maulana Ahmed Ludhyanvi’s house arrest.

Millat-e-Islamia’s first public meeting will be held in Islamabad on April 6 and Ali Sher Haidry, patron-in-chief of the organisation, and Dr Khadim Hussain Dhilon will address participants.

Earlier termed Anjuman Sipah-e-Sahaba, the Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) is a Sunni sectarian outfit that has been alleged to be involved in terrorist violence, primarily targeted against the minority Shia community in Pakistan. The outfit has also operated as a political party having contested elections and an SSP leader was a minister in the Coalition Government in Punjab in 1993. The SSP is one of the five outfits that have been proscribed by President Pervez Musharraf on January 12, 2002. The outfit is reported to have been renamed as Millat-e-Islamia Pakistan after the proscription.

SSP extremists have primarily operated in two ways: The first involves targeted killings of prominent opponent organisation activists. In the second, terrorists fire on worshippers in mosques operated by opposing sects.