Sectarian violence killed 1,710 since 2008, Senate told

E-Paper | March 01, 2026

KARACHI: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Friday told a session of the Senate that 1,710 people have been killed since 2008 in incidents of sectarian violence across Pakistan, DawnNews reported.

The Senate session was headed by Chairman Nayyar Hussain Bokhari.

The highest number of deaths were recorded in Balochistan with a death toll of 675, followed by 31 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 204 in Sindh, 146 in Punjab, 149 in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), while 100 people were assassinated in different incidents of sectarian violence in Gilgit-Baltistan.

The least number of deaths were traced in the federal capital Islamabad with only five killed since 2008.

According to a report by Pak Institute for Peace Studies (Pips), the rise in sectarian violence started in 2011 is continuously increasing in the country. Moreover, suicide attacks are also being used during sectarian clashes, and have resulted in the death of numerous people across the country.

Furthermore, a group of researchers launched a website to document trends in sectarian violence of a period of 10 years from 2002 to 2013.

Pakistan

Sectarian violence increased in 2013, says report

Project to document sectarian violence launched

sarah shah

Mar 07, 2014 04:04pm

This secterian violence has become a monster for Pakistan....biggest threat to my dear Pakistan,i think it is so-called third force 2nd as well.

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Ali

Mar 07, 2014 05:12pm

Mr Interior Minister, Care to provide a breakdown of casualties per sect? Without that you are just mumbling numbers and not making any policy. I think once you analyze who is being killed the most, followed by second-most, you will come to terms with what kind of a mind-set you must fight.

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Naved

Mar 07, 2014 05:20pm

And how many have been killed in drone attacks? Just for the kind information of Imaran Khan, Munawar Hasan, Samiul Haq etc.

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shafiq

Mar 07, 2014 05:34pm

I am sure the researchers suffer from a myopic condition, otherwise they would know the sectarian conflict was heated up by the jamat islami and other like minded people including the chief minister of the punjab in 1953. Yes I was there and an observer. The people who were against the concept of Pakistan but could not stop then, now they are trying to destroy it from inside.

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Aslam Butt

Mar 07, 2014 06:56pm

First of all it is wrong to label it as sectarian. First they were only killing Shias now they are killing others as well and expanding their scope everyday. Unfortunately we are sleeping and confusing ourselves for no reason. Sunni-Shia differences are not about killing each other

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taj

Mar 07, 2014 07:03pm

Mr minister please go back by one year to 2007 also.

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Saki

Mar 07, 2014 07:04pm

All this sectarian violence is because of Saudi money and influence. We didn't have these problems on this magnitude before the Soviet-Afghan war...Pakistan has always been a land like no other .... need to get rid of this Saudi (Arab) influence and we need to get back to real Islam and our own Pakistani (Baloch, Sindhi, Punjabi, Pathan & Kashmiri) way of "Live together and die together"...

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Haji Sohail

Mar 07, 2014 07:08pm

There has been forces at work to stir sectarian violence in Pakistan. Its seems a total failure from our government and law enforcement agencies that could not stop and eradicate those culprits. Like many things in our country, law and order is non existent.

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Amjad Wyne

Mar 07, 2014 07:50pm

Minister Nisar, please stop providing statics and start telling what you plan to do to address them.

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Haider

Mar 07, 2014 08:47pm

A total of 1,710 innocent people in 6 complete years (2008-13) making an average of 285/per year. If we could recall suicidal attacks on Masajis/Imambargahs, Muharram and 12-Rabi u Awal processions in Karachi only from 2009-13 (4 years) very clearly these figures are WRONG. Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who you wish to fool?

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ACFP

Mar 07, 2014 10:26pm

This is NOT a case of sectarian violence. This is one sides killing; this was mainly an attempt for Shia genocide or ethnic cleansing. Now this is spreading to Bralvies and other Sunni sects but still it is mainly to kill Shias, especially any educated established professional like doctors, engineers etc. State seems to be either an accomplice or a collaborator because state officials openly boast their ties to the outfits that carry out the attacks. State also seems to be trying to appease these outfits by negotiating with them. One big question in all these negotiation is that the largest numbers of individuals killed in terrorist attacks are Shias and there is no discussions or guarantee that Shias will not be killed or targeted as a result of these so called peace talks.

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syed

Mar 07, 2014 10:57pm

And what are they gonna do about it.... ? - Nothing!

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Ghalib

Mar 08, 2014 12:16am

First Taliban Khan now we have Taliban Chaudry

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Ayesha Khan

Mar 08, 2014 01:22am

Thank you Mr Nisar you are keeping a good count -- and that's all you can do .