Shaal (Quetta), the capital of Baluchistan Province in Pakistan, is a multicultural city where people of various cultures and ethnicities have lived together peacefully for many years. It has a rich history with no significant racial or sectarian biases until 1990s. It has been home to ancient civilizations, such as Mehrgarh civilization, one of the oldest in the region. Additionally, Baluchistan holds great importance in terms of socio-political and economic aspects, with its strategic location along coastal areas and its significance in trade, Natural resource and beauty. However, behind its beautiful scenery and lively traditions, there is a story of hardship and struggle that prevent them from enjoying their basic rights and delay their development. Political repression and enforced disappearances are among the most pressing issues in Quetta, Baluchistan. Activists, journalists, students, and ordinary people are frequently abducted by state security forces for various accusations.

Their families, especially women, are continuously protesting from the past many years in all across Baluchistan for their missing loved ones. Months before, a group of those families marched to the capital, Islamabad, to demand answers for their missing loved ones. According to Dr. Maharang Baloch, the leader of the Long March, they were disappointed by the government’s response. A few days ago, they protested again in Quetta, but the police brutally attacked the women involved in the protest, resulting in many arrests. This has created an alarming environment in the city. Which needs to be resolved as it the main issue of Baluchistan that causes other war Politics in the region, including the persecution of the Hazara community.

The Hazara community in Quetta has faced severe persecution for over two decades by the Name of sectarian and ethnic conflicts. Individuals, professionals, politicians, and business people continue to be targeted and killed by unidentified assailants. The authorities’ failure to catch the attackers shows they are either incompetent, indifferent, or May be involved in the attacks. The basic issue for the Hazara community is the right to live, which has not been protected in Pakistan throughout years. The male population within Hazara households has diminished, with many men being killed, others leaving Pakistan, and many showing signs of psychological distress. Young people are involved in drugs, facing financial crises, and experiencing social alienation. A study by Zara Arshad and Madiha Batool found that 68.2% of Hazara affected by terrorism in Quetta, Pakistan, suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Nader Ali Hazara reports that 2,500 people have been killed, while Reza Wakil, a human rights activist for Hazara and refugees in Baluchistan, mentions that 3,000 people have been killed and more than 3,000 injured. (Ahmady, 2022) Although the number of attacks and target killings has decreased in the past two years, but can still not say it is a stable peace for the Hazara community. The violence against Hazara in Quetta is clearly an act of genocide and systemic ethnic cleansing in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. On the other hand injustice often stems from poor governance and ineffective leadership, leading to problems like limited access to education, basic facilities like water, Electricity and Gas, healthcare crises, and environmental degradation. A clear example of poor governance is the continuous difficulty faced by the Hazara community in Quetta when trying to obtain essential legal documents like ID cards, passports, and local certificates. These documents are crucial for accessing services, education, and health and job opportunities. However, many Hazaras face delay, discrimination, and unnecessary bureaucratic verifications during the application process.

When applying for these documents, Hazaras are subjected to extra scrutiny and their applications are often delayed without explanation. This discrimination not only causes frustration but also restricts their ability to travel for any scholarship or visits. The process of obtaining ID cards and passports is particularly burdensome for Hazaras, as they are often required to provide additional documents and undergo multiple verification steps not typically demanded from other communities. This makes the process longer and more complicated for them. However the issue has been noticed by the supreme court of Pakistan to abolish it and reported in many news channels like ARY, the express tribune and Daily Pakistan but it has not been solved.  To address these challenges, it’s important to reduce discrimination and streamline the application process, ensuring that Hazaras can obtain their identification documents without excessive hardship.

Moreover only about one-third of houses in Quetta are connected to the public water supply system. These houses receive water for just half an hour to one hour each day, and it’s unclear if the water is clean. Hazara Town has had water problems for so long that I can’t remember if the government ever provided water to our homes. Even though people have bought government water supply pipelines and have tube well connections, they still rely on private suppliers for water. These private suppliers charge between 2000 to 3000 rupees per month for just one hour of water. For many, this isn’t enough, so they often have to use water tankers in emergencies.

Connecting a home to a private tube well costs around 45,000 rupees. If someone can’t afford this, they won’t have a connection, and even then, it doesn’t guarantee a proper water supply. Load shedding often stops the water supply because running the electric motor becomes too expensive. Additionally, private tube well owners sometimes pay the water mafia tankers not to give water so they can run their business. There is a rumor that private tube well suppliers in Hazara Town pay WASA 450 lakh rupees a month to not provide water to residents. Also, government tube wells are leased to wealthy individuals. The beneficiaries which include both water tankers and private suppliers however, have been seen involved in stopping the water in duly times of when people need it at utmost. The issue has been faced since many years but there has not been seen any significant step to tackle the problem. While the tanker mafias continue to bring water from 3000 to 4000 thousands.

The rule of water tanker mafias start up in the summer when the private tube wells also stop supplying water, and they give 5000 per tanker. In an emergency, if someone calls they late at night or early in the morning or urgently, they even bring in 7000. I observed them taking 6000 from the house while attending a funeral and a public event. All the community members were also talking about their own experiences. The tension is rising for non-availability and soaring of prices. Because every average lower- and middle-class person, who has limited local sources of income inside of Hazara town and in Quetta even though very few Hazara are now doing business in Quetta level, is suffering from these issues and protesting to the local MPA, press clubs, and many times the Hazara women blocked the main Western Bypass road in protest against the Water and Sanitation Authority (WASA) for its failure.

Conclusion:

Quetta faces significant challenges, including political repression, enforced disappearances, and systemic ethnic cleansing.  The situation is unstable, with the Hazara community struggling for their basic rights, safety and Identity. In addition, poor governance and ineffective leadership contribute to issues like lack of access to education, essential services, healthcare, and environmental degradation. The difficulty in obtaining ID cards and passports for Hazara as well as severe water shortages exacerbated by corrupt practices, highlights the urgent need for reforms. Addressing these challenges is crucial for ensuring justice, peace, and development of the broader region of Baluchistan.