Context
Fourteen people belonging to the Shia community were killed and seven injured in Quetta in yet another incident of sectarian violence in the country. Unidentified gunmen on motorcycle opened fire on a bus headed to Hazara Ganji. The passengers who were on their way to the fruit and vegetable market were removed from the bus, lined up and shot by assailants.
Analysis
In a statement regarding Tuesday’s attack, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) warned the killings “exposes once again the diminishing writ of the state.” Last month 26 Shia pilgrims were killed in a similar fashion in the town of Mastung; armed gunmen shot dead passengers on a bus carrying Shia pilgrims from Quetta to Iran.
The banned militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has claimed responsibility for the attack.
