Re: Gilgit violence
I dont believe in how ST operates, but I could find one. The same people have killed thousands of people from all sects so what can be said about that.
Re: Gilgit violence
There seem to be some positive developments in this area, let’s see where it all goes:
G-B violence: 31 Sunnis released by abductors after a week – The Express Tribune
Re: Gilgit violence
Then why are sunni leaders and average sunni in country not coming forward and at the very least condemning these acts?
At the end of the day, theres good and bad in all walks of life. When people are being killed who you cant relate to or it doesnt affect you directly, its easy for people to ignore such barbaric acts and continue their lives as normal. You have to realise that all leaders and nations and religious groups and sects are 'power hungry' and no matter what they believe in, they will do anything to achieve those goals and to obtain power, whether sunni, shia, christian, protestant, jew etc.
What matters is when good men stay silent and let evil prevail, thats when things get messy. In such times ALL need to have a cool head and not end up in a civil war so the REAL ENEMIES can take over you all while you are stupid enough to be at each others throats!
Islam isnt about sects and groups etc... its about the shahada and also recognising all of humanity and living in peace.
Re: Gilgit violence
Something positive amongst the violence.
A story of harmony: Civilian vigilantes narrowly save 200 lives – The Express Tribune
****GILGIT: **Even as lives were lost and blood spilt during last week’s sectarian violence in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), the community of Chilas managed to save at least 200 Shia passengers – including women and children – and swiftly shift them to areas where they would be out of harm’s way.
**
The passengers were travelling from Rawalpindi to Gilgit and Skardu, and had just reached the town of Chilas when sectarian violence broke out in Gilgit after unidentified men attacked a Sunni rally with hand grenades, killing six people and injuring 50 others.
The violence led to the imposition of a curfew in the city.
**The saving of human lives in Chilas, however, was overshadowed by the killing of 10 Shias in reaction to the hand grenade attack at the Sunni rally in Gilgit. The vehicle of the top Sunni cleric in Gilgit-Baltistan, Qazi Nisar, also came under fire, leaving his driver injured.
**
“When the news of the grenade attack and firing on the cleric’s vehicle reached Chilas, an infuriated mob was present in the valley where a convoy of buses had just reached from Rawalpindi. They attacked Shia passengers in the buses with sticks, guns, and stones and killed many of them,” a senior police official in Chilas told i.
According to another senior police official, Jamsheed Ahmed, who himself was injured along with four other policemen while escorting the buses, more than 3,000 men attacked the convoy.
While the killing spree continued outside, the almost 200 helpless Shia passengers were stuck inside the buses, waiting for what they thought was the inevitable to happen.
**When hope was almost lost, clerics and other residents from the area picked up the Shia passengers, and transferred them to their own houses for the night where they provided them with food, shelter and security.
**
**Two people – Leevar Khan and Shah Nasir – reportedly played a key role in saving the passengers lives.
**
The next day, hundreds of residents themselves arranged for transportation for the threatened passengers and accompanied them up to Jaglot, where they further negotiated with a violent mob until the passengers were safely handed over to the administration.
The account was verified from various independent sources in Chilas and Gilgit later.
**Released hostages
**
Meanwhile, 34 Sunni hostages released on Tuesday from Nagar valley were moved out of the restive city of Gilgit. “Under security cover, they were shifted to their native areas,” police said, adding that most of the captives were from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and were labourers.
After their release, they were brought to the chief minister’s office in Gilgit, officials said, confirming that the number of hostages released was 34 and they were all in good health.
The hostages had been kidnapped in retaliation to the killing of the 10 members of the Shia community.
Meanwhile, residents continued to suffer a shortage of food and other basic necessities due to the strict curfew.
Similarly, cellular services remained blocked and traffic on the Karakoram highway stayed suspended. There was no word when these services will be restored.
Security officials also continued raids in the Kashrote and Nagral areas and recovered illegal arms, a police official told The Express Tribune, without giving details of the operation which has been ongoing since the curfew was imposed.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 12[SUP]th[/SUP], 2012
Re: Gilgit violence
good to hear that precious lives were saved ... but on the darker side, alot of people were killed as well!
so the curfew is still imposed at the moment? I remember reading Hamid Mir article the one you posted in Hazara thread! and he raised some really interesting points, as to why all this happening at the same time, target killings in three different parts of Pakistan, if one tries to connect the dots, things do kinda make sense, why now?? why these brutal incidents are taking place at the same!! ... ?? does it really have to do something with PAK-US sour relationship? There used to be target killings in 80's as well ... do u remember how did they control the situation back thn? I really doubt if the culprits were brought to justice back then!!!