It is an undeniable truth that Pakistan has a history of land disputes which often escalate to the use of physical force and brutal attacks between the parties. The attack in Parachinar in 2024 also originated from a simple land dispute. However, it is arguable that what added fuel to the fire is inevitably the deep-rooted sectarian divide between Shia and Sunni Muslims. Would 50 people have been killed and 200 injured had there been any other land conflict between the two families? Most likely not. It is evident that what started as a familial dispute, was exacerbated into a sectarian conflict.
It wouldn’t be erroneous to state that the events in Parachinar are nothing short of genocidal attacks where the two major religious groups are committing hostilities against one another. The area is primarily dominated by Sunnis—the Shia community being the minority. It has been reported that militant groups have been involved in the deployment and use of firearms, rocket shells, etc that have resulted in these causalities. This threatens societal harmony and directly challenges the sanctity of life and inviolability of human dignity.
Parachinar is a piece of land where such outbursts of violence—due to deeply entrenched schisms—have been recorded in the past, particularly in the last 7 years. Sunni and Shia Muslims have always been involved in an intricate web of animosity, distrust, and hatred that often leads to bloodshed.
A similar but slightly less aggravated situation was reported last year in 2023. This ultimately drives the argument that that state has drastically failed to play its part despite knowing that its minorities are not safe. The failure in this particular incident is very much evident from the fact that despite the armed attacks and cross-aggression between the two groups for a prolonged period (about a week), there was no immediate government intervention to control the situation before it ramped up into a serious dispute. There was no attempt to settle the matter and legally address the issue.
Again, it is important to emphasize and reiterate that this is not a one-off incident. There is a long chain of events that have happened in the past where minorities have been the target and suffered great losses while no major step was taken to prevent such horrors from happening again. The issue of minority rights in Pakistan has always been a focal point requiring legal consideration. It is not just about the Shia minorities but various others such as Ahmadis, Hindus, and Christians have also been subject to cruel and violent treatment. Their rights have been openly violated in various forms and no stringent action has been taken by the state authorities that could halt these events.
Pakistan’s constitutional framework is such that it ostensibly enshrines the right to equality and non-discrimination based on religion, caste, race, etc. The country’s flag is itself a symbol representing inclusivity for all religions and sects. These obligations also arise from a variety of international legal instruments that have been signed and ratified by Pakistan such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights or the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which guarantee all sorts of protection to all minorities and explicitly prohibit any discriminatory action.
However, the pragmatic world seems far from this theoretical understanding of rights and protections. These legal provisions, though in place, often fall short when it comes to implementing them, relegating the religious and ethnic minorities who continue to be marginalized and experience worse forms of discrimination and persecution.
Living in the 21st century where the world has far progressed in all fields, yet, some things have remained unchanged and it seems that those in positions of power who can bring about a change also remain deaf to these issues. This unnecessary suffering needs to end for the country to flourish. Apart from the state’s responsibility to take direct action, another fundamental contributing factor towards this would be imparting knowledge and education in our society to help people develop acceptance and tolerance towards different religions, groups, and sects. Such awareness campaigns amongst the masses would potentially foster diversity and break the stereotypes that sustain minority disenfranchisement.
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Eman is a third-year student at Pakistan College of Law, University of London LL.B (Hons.) Program. She is an editor for LEAP Pakistan and has written several articles and opinions for LEAP, The News International, and PCL Student Journal. She has interned for the Asma Jahangir legal aid cell, RIAA Barker, and Bhandari Naqvi Riaz, and has won various national and international moot court competitions.