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Pakistan Killings Recall Minority Woes


Residents of Karachi peer past a cloth barrier raised to cordon off the site of a suicide bomb attack in that city in September.
Residents of Karachi peer past a cloth barrier raised to cordon off the site of a suicide bomb attack in that city in September.
The recent killings of three Hindu doctors in Sindh is a grim reminder of the perils faced by minorities, in particular, in Pakistan.

Such doctors have been at the forefront of assistance to the flood-affected and other hapless residents of Swat Valley and Sindh. They have been widely applauded for their selfless work and dedication.

There has been considerable bloodshed elsewhere in Sindh, particularly in Karachi, where minorities have arguably absorbed a disproportionate amount of the violence. In Baluchistan, Baluch nationalists have been under pressure, recently and indeed for decades. In Gilgit-Baltistan, Shi'a appear to have been specifically targeted for attack. In the tribal areas and Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa, tribal elders and liberal politicians belonging to the Awami National Party remain a frequent target of radical elements.

-- Majeed Babar
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