By Waleed Tariq:
At least 43 Ismailis, a minority group within Shia Muslims, were shot dead by four gunmen in Sachal neighbourhood of Karachi on Monday, May 13. Like any other day, the peaceful community had taken a bus from their residence, al-Azhar gardens to their schools, workplaces or markets when they came under the attack. Banned outfits, including the Islamic State (IS) and Jandullah claimed responsibility for the attack.
But this is not the first time Shias have been targeted by terrorists in Pakistan. There have been over 400 incidents of sectarian violence in the country since 2001, killing over 2,000 people and injuring 4,000 others.