HRW urges Pak govt. to protect Shia muslims from deadly attacks ahead of Moharram

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Pakistan's Human Rights Watch (HRW) report has urged the Islamabad government to urgently prevent deadly sectarian attacks on Shia Muslims that escalate during the holy month of Moharram.

According to the report, Sunni extremist groups, which are known to be affiliated with the Taliban and the al-Qaeda in Pakistan, have claimed responsibility for attacks in recent years that have killed dozens of Shia, particularly on processions marking Ashura, the 10th day of Moharram.

The holy day of processions falls on 15 November this year.

Director at HRW Ali Dayan Hasan said the Pakistani authorities need to arrest extremist group members responsible for past attacks and put all necessary security measures in place to protect the Shia population.

HRW said that more than 800 Shia have been killed in targeted attacks in Pakistan since 2012, including nearly 400 in this year.

Sunni militant groups, such as the banned Lashkar-e Jhangvi, have historically had links to the Pakistani military and its intelligence agencies and the group continues to operate even in areas where state authority is well established, such as Punjab province and Karachi.