Countrywide protest ends

The protesters in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, began preparations to bury the bombing victims after their leaders announced an end to the demonstration. Relatives had refused to bury their loved ones until the army took control of Quetta and launched a targeted operation against Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, the group that claimed responsibility for Saturday’s bombing.

The protesters have criticised police and paramilitary forces under control of the Interior Ministry in Quetta for failing to protect the minority sect, which comprises up to 20 per cent of the country’s population of 180 million.

There was no indication the army would take control of the city. But the government announced that paramilitary forces began an operation against Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and other militant groups on Monday night.

Four members of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, including a senior commander, were killed in a shootout on Tuesday, and over 170 other suspected militants were arrested, said Balochistan’s Home Secretary, Akbar Hussain Durrani. The government also replaced the top police officer in Balochistan on Tuesday, said Fayaz Sumbal, deputy police chief in Quetta. Sumbal has also been ordered to replace the chief of police operations in Quetta, he said.

“Our demands have been accepted,” a top Shia leader in Quetta, Amin Shaheedi, told reporters after holding talks with a government delegation sent from Islamabad. “We appeal to our people to go to their homes in a peaceful manner.”

It remains to be seen what impact the government’s actions will have on the problem of sectarian violence in Quetta. Suspected militants are notoriously difficult to prosecute in Pakistan, and it’s unclear if the operation against Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and others will be sustained.

Militants have stepped up sectarian attacks over the past year. Violence has been especially bad in Balochistan, which has the highest concentration of Shias in the country. A double bombing at a billiards hall in January in Quetta killed 86 people. Pakistan has launched numerous military operations against militants in recent years, but the focus has been on the Pakistani Taleban, who have been waging a terror campaign against the state that has killed thousands of people.

Rights organisations have criticised the government for not doing enough to target militant groups. They explain this apathy by pointing to past connections between the country’s military and militants, and also allege the sectarian groups are seen as less of a threat than the Taleban because they are not targeting the state. Political parties have also relied on banned sectarian groups to deliver votes in elections.

The four Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militants killed on Tuesday in a suburb of Quetta included Shah Wali, a senior commander involved in attacking Shias and police officials, said Durrani, the home secretary. Others included Abdul Wahab, a key planner and recruiter; Naeem Khan, a logistics expert who provided explosives; and Anwar Khan, a rank and file militant, said Durrani.

Seven other Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militants were arrested in the operation on Tuesday, said Durrani. The more than 170 suspected militants arrested earlier included Haji Mohammed Rafiq, a prominent member of another organisation, Ahle Sunnat Waljamaat, said the home secretary. Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf first announced the operation in a statement issued by his office on Tuesday that said it “aimed at eliminating those responsible for playing with lives of innocent civilians and restoring peace and security in Quetta.”

Last year was the bloodiest in history for Shias, according to Human Rights Watch. Over 400 were killed in targeted attacks across the country, at least 125 of whom were died in Balochistan.