Unveiling the Triggers: Analyzing factors behind the Targeted Killings of the Hazara Community in Balochistan, Pakistan

Authors

  • Kishwar Munir Associate Professor, and the Head of the Department, School of Integrated Social Sciences (SISS) University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
  • Muhammad Ajmal Senior Lecturer at School of Integrated Social Sciences (SISS) University of Lahore, Lahore Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37540/njips.v8i2.204

Keywords:

Targeted Killings, Hazara Community, Balochistan, Islamization, Iranian Revolution

Abstract

This article investigates the multifaceted factors contributing to the systematic and targeted killings of the Hazara community in Balochistan, Pakistan, a persistently vulnerable minority group in the country. The Hazara community has faced a relentless wave of violence and persecution for decades, often resulting in tragic loss of life. Through a comprehensive examination of historical, political, and social dynamics, this study seeks to shed light on the root causes and drivers of this ongoing crisis. A qualitative research method has been employed, with primary data collected through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions conducted via Zoom. Respondents included scholars, entrepreneurs, academics, activists from the Hazara community, as well as individuals from other communities residing in Balochistan. The analysis encompasses a range of critical aspects, including the social and historical context of the Hazara community in Balochistan, the influence of regional geopolitics, sectarian divisions, and the role of extremist elements. Furthermore, it explores the dynamics of state response, or the lack thereof, and its impact on the security and well-being of the Hazara community. The article also examines the broader implications of these targeted killings on human rights, social cohesion, and political stability in the region. By delving into these contributing factors, the study aims to provide a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by the Hazara community in Balochistan and offers insights into potential strategies for mitigating violence and promoting greater tolerance and inclusivity in the region

References

Abbas, H. (2010). Shiism and Sectarian Conflict in PakistanIdentity Politics, Iranian Influence, and Tit-for-Tat Violence. Combating Terrorism Center at West Point.

Abbasi, N. M. (2013). Impact of terrorism on Pakistan. Strategic Studies, 33(2), 33-68.

Abou Zahab, M. (2020). Pakistan: A Kaleidoscope of Islam. Oxford University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197534595.001.0001

Ahmad Wani, S. (2019). Political indifference and State complicity: The travails of Hazaras in Balochistan. Strategic Analysis, 43(4), 328-334. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09700161.2019.1626580

Amin, H., & Muhammad, N. (2023). Majority-Minority Relations and Targeted Violence: The Hazara Community in Afghanistan. International Journal on Minority and Group Rights, 1(aop), 1-20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/15718115-bja10117

Ashrafian, A. Z. (2023). Hazaras Persecution in Afghanistan: A case study through the lens of protracted social conflicts and relative deprivation.

Azam, M. (2020). Mapping Militant Manifestations. IPRI Journal, 53-87. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31945/iprij.200203

Ejaz, M., Ullah, K., Shabbir, A., & Ahmed, W. (2023). The implications of the state’s response to the violent ethnic conflicts in Balochistan. Liberal Arts & Social Sciences International Journal (LASSIJ), 155-171. DOI: https://doi.org/10.47264/idea.lassij/7.1.9

European Asylum Support Office. (2020). Situation of Hazaras and Shias. https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1311881/download

European Asylum Support Office. (2015). EASO Country of Origin Information: Report Pakistan Country Overview. https://www.easo.europa.eu/sites/default/files/public/EASO_COI_Report_Pakistan- Country-Overview_final.pdf

European Union Agency for Asylum. (2023). Individuals of Hazara ethnicity and other Shias. https://euaa.europa.eu/country-guidance-afghanistan-2023/3142-individuals-hazara-ethnicity-and-other-shias

Fatıma, A. (2018). Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia: The rising sectarianism (Master’s thesis, Necmettin Erbakan Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü).

Gonzalez, N. (2013). The Sunni-Shia conflict: understanding sectarian violence in the Middle East. Nortia Media Ltd.

Grare, F. (2007). The evolution of sectarian conflicts in Pakistan and the ever changing face of Islamic violence. South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies, 30(1), 127-143. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00856400701264068

Howenstein, N. (2008). The Jihadi Terrain in Pakistan: An Introduction to the Sunni Jihadi Groups in Pakistan and Kashmir. Pakistan Security Research Unit, Department of Peace Studies, University of Bradford. https://bradscholars.brad.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/10454/2224/resrep1.pdf?sequence=1

Human Rights Watch. (2014). “We are the Walking Dead” - Killings of Shia Hazara in Balochistan, Pakistan. https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/pakistan0614_ForUplaod.pdf

Hussain, M., Ali, A., & David, M. K. (2022). Conceptual Metaphors in the Hazaragi Community’s Institution of Marriage in Balochistan, Pakistan. LingPoet: Journal of Linguistics and Literary Research, 3(3), 68-86. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32734/lingpoet.v3i3.9302

Ijaz, S. (2018). Pakistan’s Hazara Community Under Attack. Human Rights Watch, 30.

Jafree, S. R., Hasnain Nadir, S., Mahmood, Q. K., & Burhan, S. K. (2023). The migrant Hazara Shias of Pakistan and their social determinants for PTSD, mental disorders and life satisfaction. Journal of Migration and Health 7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmh.2023.100166

Kakar, R. (2019). The relentless assault on Hazaras continues. What can be done to stop it? Dawn Prism. https://www.dawn.com/news/1476702

Kamruzzaman, P., Williams, K., Wardak, A., Cowley, L., Ayobi, Y., Zadran, A. S., & Kabir, E. (2022). Evidence on internal displacement in Afghanistan: In search of dignified life, durable solutions, and sustainable development for the Afghan internally displaced people.

Khan, S., & Laoutides, C. (2024). Trapped between religion and ethnicity: identity politics against the Baloch in Iran and Pakistan. DYNAMICS OF ASYMMETRIC CONFLICT Pathways toward terrorism and genocide, 164-184. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17467586.2024.2356508

Khan, M. A., & Batool, S. (2025). INDIAN HYBRID WARFARE TOOLS IN BALUCHISTAN AND ITS IMPACT ON CPEC: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS. Contemporary Journal of Social Science Review, 3(1), 1725-1741.

LANDINFO. (2016). Report Hazaras and Afghan insurgent groups. Landinfo Country of Origin Information Centre.

https://www.refworld.org/pdfid/5ae1ea974.pdf

Mehfooz, M. (2021). Religious freedom in Pakistan: A case study of religious minorities. Religions, 12(1), 51. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12010051

Muhammad, W., Wan Ali, W. K., Furuoka, F., & Yusoff, A. A. (2024). Sectarian Violence in Quetta Balochistan using the Theory of Othering. Al-Basirah Volume, 230-243. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22452/basirah.vol14no2.13

Mushtaq, M., & Khan, M. (2023). Elements of National Power of Pakistan: Analyzing the Natural Resources of Balochistan Province (Doctoral dissertation, International Islamic University Islamabad).

National Commission for Human Rights Pakistan. (2018). Understanding the agonies of Ethnic Hazaras. National Commission for Human Rights. https://nchr.gov.pk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/HAZARA-REPORT.pdf

Notezai, M. A. (2015). Balochistan Grapples With Sectarian Violence. The Diplomat. https://thediplomat.com/2015/06/balochistan-grapples-with-sectarian-violence/

Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies. (2019). PAKISTAN SECURITY REPORT 2018. https://www.pakpips.com/web/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/sr2018.pdf

PF Staff. (2021). Islamic State’s killings of Hazaras in Balochistan show persecution of community in Pakistan continues unabated. First Post. https://www.firstpost.com/world/islamic-states-killings-of-hazaras-in-balochistan-show-persecution-of-community-in-pakistan-continues-unabated-9168961.html

Rizvi Jafree, S., Malik, N., & Khawar, A. (2023). Pakistani Hazara Shia victims: challenges, survival techniques, and protective needs. Conflict, Security & Development, 23(1), 67-92. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14678802.2023.2186166

Shah, S. Z. (2019). Media Framing of Sunni-Shia Tensions in Pakistan. https://ruor.uottawa.ca/server/api/core/bitstreams/21c5ce11-a90d-425f-919a-c7f61b0bb7fa/content

Shah, S. (2021, January). Timeline of attacks on the Hazara community. The NEWS. https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/771143-timeline-of-attacks-on-the-hazara-community

Shahid, K. K. (2021, January). Pakistan Continues to Sacrifice Shia Hazaras to Safeguard Jihadist ‘Assets.’ The Diplomat. https://thediplomat.com/2021/01/pakistan-continues-to-sacrifice-shia-hazaras-to-safeguard-jihadist-assets/

Siddiqi, F. (2015). Sectarian Violence in Balochistan. MEI@75. https://www.mei.edu/publications/sectarian-violence-balochistan

Siddiqi, F. (2012). Security Dynamics in Pakistani Balochistan: Religious Activism and Ethnic Conflict in the War on Terror. Asian Affairs: An American Review, 157-175. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00927678.2012.704834

Syed Ali, N. S. A. (2014). Sectarian killings in Balochistan. DAWN. https://www.dawn.com/news/1079540/sectarian-killings-in-balochistan

Tellis, A. J. (2008). Pakistan and the War on Terror. Conflicted Goals, Compromised Performance. Washington, DC (et al.): Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 10.

The Dawn. (2013, November). Timeline: Hazara killings in Balochistan. Dawn. https://www.dawn.com/news/777973/timeline-hazara-killings-in-balochistan

UK Home Office. (2019). Country Policy and Information Note Pakistan: Hazaras. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/851253/Pakistan_-_Hazaras_-_CPIN_-_v2.1__November_2019_.pdf

Yousafzai, G. (2021 January 3). Islamic State claims responsibility for attack on Pakistan’s Shi’ite Hazara minority that kills 11. REUTERS. https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN2980HG/

Yusuf, I. (2011). Who are the Hazara? The Express Tribune. https://tribune.com.pk/story/267225/who-are-the-hazara

Yusuf, H. (2012). Sectarian violence: Pakistan’s greatest security threat? Norwegian Peacebuilding Resource Centre.

https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/151436/949e7f9b2db9f947c95656e5b54e389e.pdf

Downloads

Published

30-06-2025

How to Cite

Kishwar Munir, & Muhammad Ajmal. (2025). Unveiling the Triggers: Analyzing factors behind the Targeted Killings of the Hazara Community in Balochistan, Pakistan. NUST Journal of International Peace & Stability, 8(2), 16–33. https://doi.org/10.37540/njips.v8i2.204

Issue

Section

Articles

Most read articles by the same author(s)

Obs.: This plugin requires at least one statistics/report plugin to be enabled. If your statistics plugins provide more than one metric then please also select a main metric on the admin's site settings page and/or on the journal manager's settings pages.