In 2012 almost 400 Pakistanis lost their lives in sectarian violence, and the bulk of them were Shiite Muslims, according to the Center for Research and Security Studies.
Six months into 2013, the Shiite community has already lost more than 300 members in four major attacks – three in Quetta, the provincial capital of Pakistan's largest province Balochistan, and one in Karachi, the country's commercial metropolis.
The majority of the Shiites killed are members of the minority Hazara population, which is situated mostly in Quetta’s Hazara Town and Mehr Abad. The persian-speaking and mostly Shiite Hazaras are known for their distinct Mongolian features, making them easy to pick out in a crowd. More than 1,000 Hazaras have been killed in targeted attacks in the past 10 years.
