Sectarianism in Pakistan
| Sectarian violence in Pakistan | ||||||||
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| Part of the War on Terrorism | ||||||||
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| Belligerents | ||||||||
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Sunni factions:
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Sunni factions:
Sectarian violence in Pakistan refers to attacks against people and places in Pakistan motivated by antagonism toward the target's sect, usually a religious group. Targets in Pakistan include the Sunni, Shia,Sufi, and the small Ahmadi, Hindu and Christian religious groups. As many as 4,000 people are estimated to have been killed in Shia-Sunni sectarian fighting in Pakistan between 1987–2007. And since 2008 "thousands of Shia" have been killed by Sunni extremists according to the human rights group Human Rights Watch. One significant aspect of the attacks on Shi'a in Pakistan is that militants often target Shi’a worshipping places (Imambargah) during prayers in order to maximize fatalities and to "emphasize the religious dimensions of their attack". Human Rights Watch also states that in 2011 and 2012 Pakistan minority groups Hindus, Ahmadi, and Christians "faced unprecedented insecurity and persecution in the country". Attacks on Sufi shrines by Salafis have also been reported.
Among those blamed for the sectarian violence in the country are mainly Sunni militant groups, such as the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah-e-Sahaba, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (affiliates of Al-Qaeda),Jundallah (affiliates of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant).Lashkar-e-Jhangvi "has claimed responsibility for most attacks" on Shia according to Human Rights Watch. Sunni militant groups are also blamed for attacks on fellow Sunnis, Barelvis and Sufis. These attacks sometimes result in tit-for-tat reprisal attacks by the victims.
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