Sunni-Shiite clashes make 2004 the most violent year

Islamabad (AsiaNews) – Speaking recently before the Pakistani Senate, Pakistan's Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao reported that 160 people have been killed since January of this year compared to 155 killed (651 injured) for the 2001-2003 period. In 2003, 89 intra-Muslim incidents had left 34 people dead and 153 injured. In 2002, 102 people were killed and 312 injured in 56 violent incidents. This makes 2004 the bloodiest year in terms of sectarian violence.

The data shows that the highest number of incidents—83—was reported in Sindh province, followed by 69 in Balochistan, 42 in Punjab, 32 in North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), 2 in Islamabad, 2 in Northern Areas and 1 in Azad Kashmir.

The highest number of victims was also in Punjab: since 2001, 72 people have died and another 298 have been injured. As many as 56 people were killed and 200 injured in Sindh, 11 killed and 57 injured in the NWFP, and 10 killed and 41 injured in two attacks in Islamabad.

The roots of sectarian violence between majority Sunnis (80 per cent) and minority Shiites (20 per cent) go back to the late 1970s, to 1979 to be more precise, when an Islamic revolution in Iran overthrew the Shah and established an Islamic republic, and the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979 pushing the US and the Saudis to provide assistance to anti-Soviet Afghans. Both events had the effect of radicalising Pakistani Shiites and Sunnis. Repression by Pakistan's military dictator Zia ul-Haq added fuel to the burning ambers of religious extremism.

About 4,000 people have died since sectarian violence between Sunnis and Shiites broke out.

• pakistan
• islam
• sunnis
• shiites
• violence
• islam
• fundamentalism
• terrorism