ABSTRACT
The last two decades of the twentieth century saw mounting intra-Muslim and inter-religious violence in Pakistan. The former was characterized by Sunni-Shia1 sectarian conflict, the latter by violence against the religious minorities of Christians, Ahmadis, Hindus and Sikhs. Sunni-Shia conflict saw leading clerics and activists assassinated in tit-for-tat killings as were professionals from the ‘rival’ communities. There was large-scale tribal sectarian warfare in such areas as the Shia dominated Upper Kurram Agency. Bitter fighting in September 1996 resulted in 100 deaths and scores more injuries. In such cities as Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar innocent worshippers were increasingly attacked. In all, bomb blasts, assassinations and machine-gun attacks on places of worship resulted in 581 deaths and over 1,600 injuries in the period 1990-1997.2
Inter-religious violence also increased during this period. Thirteen Christian churches were burnt down down in Khanewal in southern Punjab in February 1997.3 The remaining Hindu temples in Karachi were attacked in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid’s December 1992 demolition in India. The Ahmadi community simultaneously faced individual acts of violence and persecution as a result of the Blasphemy Ordinance.4 The most celebrated blasphemy case, however, was the Salamat Masih and Rehmat Masih trial. This generated international attention not only because of the guilty verdict handed down by the Sessions Court and later overturned by the Lahore High Court, but because Salamat was a minor and another of the Christians accused, Manzoor Masih, had been shot dead after an earlier court appearance. There is evidence that blasphemy charges have been brought to pay off old rivalries, or to assist in land-grab activities. It seems that attacks on minority communities in both India and Pakistan are sometimes occasioned by the desire to acquire the valuable land on which mosques, churches and graveyards are located.
