The Wailing of Parachinar

Parachinar, a small town in Pakistan's Kurram Valley, has been the silent witness to countless tragedies, and yet, its cry for help often goes unanswered. For years, the Shia Muslim population in Parachinar has suffered under the weight of sectarian violence, targeted attacks, and systemic neglect by the state. What has happened here is not an isolated incident but a testament to how Pakistan has failed its Shia citizens, particularly in Parachinar. The year 2024 and the early months of 2025 have exposed, even more starkly, how Pakistan as a state has turned its back on its religious minorities, allowing the Shia community in Parachinar to become an easy target for sectarian violence. It is as though the state has been operating with its eyes closed, unable--or unwilling--to protect its citizens.

Parachinar's history has always been marked by its religious diversity, but in recent decades, that diversity has become a source of conflict rather than unity. Parachinar's Shia community has long found itself at odds with Sunni extremist groups who view them as "other." The most disturbing part of this story is not just the violence itself but the government's continued apathy toward the Shia community, allowing them to live in constant fear. The stark reality that has emerged from the violence in Parachinar is that Pakistan, a country that prides itself on being an Islamic republic, has failed its Shia citizens--shattering the myth of equality for all in the process. The attack on Parachinar in June 2017, where twin suicide bombings took the lives of 70 people, was devastating. But it was not the last. The year 2024 brought another tragedy to the region when a bomb blast in Parachinar's market claimed the lives of 25 people, most of them Shia Muslims. That attack was a cruel reminder of the failure of Pakistan's security forces to contain the rising tide of sectarian violence in the region. The blast, carried out by a group with clear sectarian motives, sent shockwaves through the community. It was a sharp reminder that, despite years of violence and unrest, Parachinar's Shia population continues to live under the constant shadow of death and destruction. And yet, the response from the Pakistani state has been one of indifference, leaving the community to fend for itself.

Even as the people of Parachinar grieve, there has been little action from Islamabad to put an end to the violence. In fact, as 2025 dawned, another attack in January added fuel to the fire. A targeted gun attack left several Shia Muslims dead, exacerbating the already tense atmosphere in Parachinar. Once again, the victims were not just numbers in a news report but human beings with families, dreams, and futures. Yet, in the face of this growing violence, the response from the state has been shockingly muted.

Pakistan, as a country, has long struggled with sectarianism. The roots of this violence stretch back to the 1980s, when the country became embroiled in the Afghan conflict and the military began fostering sectarian Sunni militias to fight in Afghanistan. These groups, bolstered by state support, gained significant power, and their influence soon spread into Pakistan, particularly in areas like Parachinar. The rise of these groups has left the Shia population of Parachinar vulnerable to extremist violence, and the state has been slow--if not outright complicit--in addressing the root causes of this sectarian divide. But the state's failure to act isn't just about historical factors or distant geopolitical maneuvers. It's about a deep-seated neglect of the Shia minority. The Sunni-majority state has repeatedly failed to protect the rights of the Shia community. In fact, it has often turned a blind eye to the suffering of these citizens. Even when Shia leaders have raised their voices, calling for justice, their appeals have fallen on deaf ears. The Shia people of Parachinar are forced to live with the knowledge that their government, the institution that should be their protector, is not there to shield them from the storm of violence that constantly hangs over their heads. The Pakistani government, while often quick to act in response to violence in other parts of the country, has demonstrated little urgency in protecting Parachinar's Shia population. The military, which has a heavy presence in the region, seems more interested in controlling the area than providing protection for its citizens. Despite the heavy presence of the military in the Kurram Valley, attacks continue to occur with disturbing regularity. The sheer contradiction between the presence of the military and the rise of violence is a chilling testament to how deeply sectarian divides have embedded themselves within the security forces.

The role of the intelligence agencies, particularly the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), also cannot be ignored. There is mounting evidence that, at times, elements within the ISI have been accused of supporting Sunni extremist groups, not just in Afghanistan but also within Pakistan's borders. These groups, which include some that target Shia Muslims, have been allowed to grow in strength and influence--despite the supposed neutrality of the Pakistani state. This failure to act decisively against these groups has directly contributed to the climate of fear in Parachinar. When the state appears to either implicitly support or turn a blind eye to these groups, it is not just an issue of poor governance--it is an outright betrayal of the Shia community's right to safety. The lack of media coverage also plays a significant role in this neglect. While major attacks and tragedies may garner some attention, the ongoing suffering of the Shia community in Parachinar often remains in the shadows. The media, for the most part, fails to give consistent coverage to the systematic violence that the Shia face. This silence allows the government to sweep these issues under the rug, perpetuating the cycle of violence and neglect. It also prevents the international community from recognizing the severity of the situation in Parachinar, keeping the Shia community's plight confined to the shadows.

What makes this situation even more heartbreaking is the indifference from the political class. Pakistani politicians, particularly those in power, often make hollow statements of solidarity after each attack. Yet, their actions never align with their words. The lack of a long-term strategy to address the root causes of sectarian violence and provide security to the Shia population speaks volumes about where the Shia of Parachinar stand in Pakistan's political landscape. They are, at best, an afterthought, their cries for justice ignored by those who hold the power to bring about real change.

It's not just that the Pakistani state has failed to protect the Shia; it's that it has systematically ignored their suffering. The people of Parachinar, like many other religious minorities in Pakistan, are caught in a cruel cycle where their very identity makes them targets for violence. They live under the constant threat of death, and when tragedy strikes, they find themselves abandoned by the very state that should be their protector.

What Parachinar reveals about Pakistan is the ugly truth that the state favors the majority while leaving its minorities to fend for themselves. The government's failure to act is not just an issue of mismanagement; it's a reflection of the deep-seated sectarianism within the state apparatus itself. It's not just a case of negligence--it's the selective protection of certain groups over others. The state's indifference to the Shia community in Parachinar shows how deeply entrenched the biases are within Pakistan's power structures.

As 2025 unfolds, Parachinar remains a symbol of a country failing to protect its most vulnerable citizens. The Shia community of Parachinar continues to live in fear, hoping against hope that the state will finally rise to its responsibility. But history has shown them otherwise. Until Pakistan confronts its majoritarian bias, the people of Parachinar will continue to bear the brunt of sectarian violence--unprotected, unheard, and forgotten. The blood of the innocent continues to be shed in Parachinar, and it is time for the state to answer for the suffering it has allowed to persist for far too long.