Human Lives Human Rights: The Pakistani government has come under intense scrutiny for its failure to protect the lives of its Shiite citizens after a recent massacre in Parachinar city, which left 40 people dead. The atrocity was perpetrated by Takfiri groups, including Sipah-i-Sahaba and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ), who are deemed illegal by the government.
The doctrine of the responsibility to protect, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2005, emphasizes that it is the duty of the established government to protect the citizenship rights of its people. This includes the responsibility to protect the life and property of its citizens, including those from minority groups.
Despite the fact that extremist groups like Sipah-i-Sahaba and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ) are considered illegal by the government, it is clear that Islamabad has a duty to provide means for its citizens to protect themselves against these groups. The failure of the government to do so has resulted in the loss of innocent lives.
Consequently, the blame for the killing of Shiites in Parachinar city lies squarely with the government of Pakistan, which has either intentionally or unintentionally ignored the sectarian violence perpetrated by Takfiri groups and failed to protect the lives of its Shiite citizens.
