ISLAMABAD: An International Crisis Group (ICG) research report — “A New Era of Sectarian Violence in Pakistan” — examines trends in sectarianism among Sunni schools of thought in Pakistan and identifies political, as well as law-enforcement, strategies for containing sectarian violence that is a distinct phenomenon from separatist, anti-state violence.

The report focuses on the role of Deobandi, Barelvi and Salafi-inspired groups. “Counter-terrorism and intelligence officials are closely monitoring the growing ISKP threat in places in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with sizeable Shia population, including Peshawar, the western districts of Dera Ismail Khan and Kohat and the tribal districts of Kurram and Orakzai”, the report says.

According to these officials, militant groups claiming affiliation with ISKP are making inroads in the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas. They believe that ISKP is moving in both directions across the border between Bajaur, a district in those areas, and Afghanistan’s Kunar and Nangarhar provinces.

In Bajaur, calls to extort victims often come from Afghan telephone numbers, with callers claiming affiliation with ISKP. A Peshawar-based lawyer with deep local knowledge asserted that “organised extortion in Bajaur and nearby tribal districts is now commonplace”, says the ICG.

The government can still come to grips with such violence and this can be done by more actively pursue, through intelligence gathering and prosecution, those who incite or resort to sectarian violence while depriving groups of the civic space they use to propagate hatred.

The ICG points to two incidents in the space of three months which highlight the evolving threat of sectarian violence in Pakistan: the lynching of a Sri Lankan factory manager accused of blasphemy in Punjab’s Sialkot district on December 3, 2021; and the bombing of a Shia mosque in Peshawar, which claimed more than 60 lives on March 4, 2022. Both are disturbing signs that hardline Sunni groups are increasingly willing to shed blood to assert their deeply sectarian views.

The report says sectarianism is now common across much of the spectrum of Sunni groups. Hatred of non-Sunni Muslims was once the métier of militants, but worryingly it has spread to elements of the Sufi-inspired majority.

With eyes on the coming general elections, the ICG sees hardline sectarian parties, particularly the above-mentioned group, getting another opportunity to gain clout in parliament. “Mainstream political parties, too, might be tempted to make concessions to sectarian outfits for electoral benefit, as they have done in the past. Those parties, including the PMLN and PPP, should instead petition the Election Commission and the higher judiciary to disallow groups and candidates who preach sectarian hatred and violence from contesting elections”, says the report.

This report identifies political, as well as law enforcement, strategies for containing sectarian violence with sources in Karachi and Quetta. Interlocutors included intelligence, law-enforcement and other officials; political representatives; Shia and human rights activists; and analysts and researchers.

While Pakistan’s counter-terrorism approach has achieved short-term successes, it neglected long-term strategies to deny civic space to violent sectarian outfits. Giving examples, the report notes that in many instances, government policy has amplified rather than tamped down sectarian rhetoric.

“Several senior serving and retired counter-terrorism, intelligence and regular law-enforcement officials rightly contend, in the past, the state has prematurely declared victory over such groups. The primary problem is that when the state does resolve to take action, it tends to rely on lethal force, including extrajudicial killings, to the neglect of an intelligence and investigation-led strategy.

Shakil Anjum adds: Interior Minister Rana Sana Ullah Khan said, “The government is committed to ending terrorism and violence in the society in whatever form it comes. The government is pursuing a number of measures to curtail hate speech and violence in the name of religion. We have given a mandate to NACTA to revamp its present structure into a proactive and vibrant organisation to combat any threats of violence in the society. We are aiming to create a uniform counter-terrorism department across the country, in close coordination with provincial governments.”

He said, “We have placed stringent mechanisms at FIA to identify hate speech mongers on social media, and to prosecute them in keeping with the law. The cases of hate speech through social media have come down drastically with proactive strategies adopted by the counter-terrorism department and cyber crime wing of the FIA.”

He maintained, “The government is also focused on prosecuting those involved in hate speech and violence in the name of religion. The courts have issued exemplary punishments to such persons. The incident of the killing of a Sri Lankan citizen in Sialkot is evidence where the courts have given sentences at an unprecedented pace to the perpetrators.”

“The government along with its security forces and law enforcement agencies is quite vigilant on the incidents of increasing violence in erstwhile FATA and Swat regions. We have geared up our efforts to maintain the law and order situation, and to not let miscreants regain their strength,” the minister added.