July 14, 2003	Monday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 13, 1424

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QUETTA, July 13: The people of Quetta are still trying to come to grips with the July 4 killings. They wonder how and why the atmosphere of tolerance in their province has changed so drastically. You come across allegations and counter-allegations. The government does not rule out a RAW angle, the Jamiat Ulema-i- Islam (JUI-F) puts the blame on the Northern Alliance of Afghanistan and on India and Russia for creating sectarian rifts, the Islami Tehrik of Pakistan criticizes the government’s incompetence in dealing with law and order, and nationalist groups accuse foreign and domestic vested interests.

Maulana Noor Muhammad, the MMA MNA, believes that terrorists enjoying the backing of international forces are involved. The “burning of the Holy Quran in a particular locality, pitting Pakhtun and Baloch against each other, the attack on Putkali Chowk to entangle Baloch and Hazara in a feud, the killing of Allama Naqvi, the assassination of police trainees (June 8) and this attack on the imambargah are plots to create ethnic and sectarian hatred,” he said.

He claimed that elements in Afghanistan, specially the Northern Alliance in collaboration with India and Russia, were organizing terrorist acts.

The MNA, who belongs to the JUI-F, said his party was a democratic party and played a major role in foiling conspiracies to create sectarian hatred and ethnic rifts. Now, new forces were at work in the province.

Former deputy chairman of the Senate and human rights activist Tahir Mohammad Khan pointed out that a vast majority of madaris in the NWFP and Balochistan were dominated by the JUI-F, but this religious organization had traditionally believed in liberalism and did not support sectarianism. But some of the present madaris appeared to be under the influence of puritanical trends and had opted for extremism.

The agenda of the extremists was to create sectarian strife, and that was one reason why the climate of sectarian harmony had changed in the province.

Dr Inayatullah Khan, leader of the Awami National Party, painted a different picture, saying that in the ‘80s, the government-religious parties alliance was responsible for encouraging extremist trends. “Elected governments during the last two decades were incompetent and least worried about the sentiments of the people. Besides, they played into the hands of the domestic vested interests and the latter had their own ideas.”

Dr Khan said that Balochistan was the only province with two international borders — with Iran and Afghanistan — and foreign powers intenteded to protect their global interests in the region. Balochistan, he added, could be used as a springboard, and sectarian hatred and tribal rivalries in the province should be seen in that perspective.

Allama Yaqoob Tawalsi, patron-in-chief of the Imamiya Juma, claimed that government and agencies were aware of who attacked the police trainees and the imambargah, and it was not clear why they were hesitating to apprehend the terrorists.

“There were sectarian slogans on walls and mountains on the way to Karachi and Mach. It was evident that some people were out to provoke one sect against the other. But no action was taken.”

Allama Yakoob said that if the government was sincere in taking action against the assailants of June 8 and July 4, the murderers could be caught in few hours.

He ruled out the involvement of the Northern Alliance or India, saying he believed the people responsible for the attack were locals.