The Perennial 'War on Terror' Replay in Pakistan
What's actually happening: FIRST INSTANCE: The Sectarian Fuse is Lit (1980s) The intentional exacerbation of sectarian divisions in Pakistan can be traced back in earnest to the 1980s, during the Soviet-Afghan War. The US, with Pakistani military dictator Gen. Zia-ul-Haq as a key ally, poured billions into funding and arming various Afghan Mujahideen groups, many of whom were radical Sunni
ideologues. This period saw a dramatic rise in sectarian madrassas and a deliberate 'Sunnification' of the Pakistani state under Zia, marginalizing Shia communities. The 'Tehrik-e-Jafaria Pakistan,' a Shia political party, emerged in response to increasingly discriminatory laws. REPETITIONS: The Echoes of Convenient Chaos (1990s-2000s) This sectarian divide, once weaponized, proved difficult to
un-weaponize. In the 1990s, groups like Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), an offshoot of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) – both virulently anti-Shia – began carrying out large-scale attacks. Just one example: in 1997, LeJ claimed responsibility for the murder of five Iranian air force cadets in Rawalpindi, a clear escalation of sectarian violence with international implications. Fast forward to 2004, the US
'War on Terror' in Afghanistan spilled over into Pakistan’s tribal areas, creating a new breeding ground for militant groups, including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), who frequently targeted Shias. A data point often glossed over: between 2001 and 2018, over 2,000 Shias were killed in targeted attacks across Pakistan (South Asia Terrorism Portal, 2019). OUTCOMES: Perpetual Instability,