Pakistan: Shia Hazara community ends demonstration in Quetta (Balochistan) May 3

Event

The Hazara Shi'a community ended its five-day sit-in in Quetta on Thursday, May 3, to denounce the targeted killings of Shi'a Muslims. This decision followed a meeting with a powerful military general. The protest movement started in the aftermath of the latest attack against the Hazara community on April 28, which killed two people. In the last two months, nine members of the Hazara Shi'a community have been killed in Quetta, home to 600,000 Hazara Shi'a Muslims.

Context

According to the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), in the last five years over 500 Hazara have been killed in the capital of Balochistan province. 

Advice

As a reminder, most Western governments advise their citizens against all non-essential travel to Quetta, where the risk from kidnapping, militant activity, and sectarian attacks is high. Individuals intending to visit Quetta are advised to have proper security arrangements in place.