Journeys to democracy

“Another light has gone out in Pakistan.” Less than a week after advocate Rashid Rehman was killed in Multan, Dr Faisal Manzoor has been gunned down outside his hospital in Hasanabdal. Tragic beyond words. May his family and friends find the courage to bear the loss. May the security and political establishments find what it takes to find his killers, charge, try and punish them. This culture of impunity must end. Please read Dr Omar Ali’s blog post about his colleague Dr Rashid Manzoor, killed just two months after his cousin, also a doctor at the same hospital, was gunned down at the same spot — both killed only because they were Shia (The Martyrdom of Dr Faisal Manzoor). “They were not just Shia, they were prominent Shias. They were also prominent philanthropists, prominent doctors, prominent helpers of those in need, prominent hosts of distant cousins of friends of friends..and prominent friends of all and sundry. But being prominent Shia was what got them targeted…..and all the other prominences did not help one bit when the motorbike boys came looking for targets.”

 Also see my earlier piece – Pakistan’s ‘enlightenment martyrs’.