Ethnic Conflicts: brief outline, motives & state ‘inaction’

KARACHI: Recent ethnic clashes in the wake of Bilal Kaka’s death, shortly after Eid, enveloped largely the Hyderabad and Karachi districts with nationalists setting ablaze chai dhabas of Pashtuns, warning them to retire from Sindh. In the mob violence incidents following the yawning fault-lines and amid state’s lukewarm response to put out the fire, few casualties across vast swathes have, too, been reported.

The history of Pakistan have, however, been riddled with the unceremonious events of racial, ethnic and sectarian strife, and though sporadic, they have emerged in all parts of the country. One such event cost it its eastern arm that is Bangladesh today.

Retrospectively, this brief document looks back and traces the common factor: ulterior motives being served with casualties being collateral damage.