Before 1979 Iranian revolution in Pakistan no one had ever heard about sectarian violence. This evil was unleashed by Iran in Pakistan to promote their agenda through funding and weapons. This evil would had died its own death if Saudis had not started contra funding. Sectarian violence is a Iranian and Saudis fight being fought in Pakistan.

Pakistan, one of the largest Muslim countries the world, has seen serious Shia-Sunni sectarian violence. Almost 70% of Pakistan’s Muslim population is Sunni, and another 30% are Shia. However, this Shia minority forms the second largest Shia population of any country, larger than the Shia majority in Iraq.

In the last two decades, as many as 4,000 people are estimated to have died in sectarian fighting in Pakistan, 300 in 2006.[2] Amongst the culprits blamed for the killing are Al Qaeda working “with local sectarian groups” to kill what they perceive as Shi’a apostates, and “foreign powers … trying to sow discord.”

Iranian Funding

Initially Islamic revolution of Iran was admired greatly in Pakistan which appearently encourged responsible people in Iran and Shia minority in Pakistan to cultivate the ground for mirror revolution in Pakistan by force, money and terrorism. By virtual of plan all individual fight and conflicts was viewed through out in Iran and by some section of Pakistan as violence against shiaism. Exacerbating tensions is Iranian funding of Shia extremists in Pakistan, who not only exact revenge against Sunnis, but have also been used to violently suppress Iranian dissidents in the country who are critical of the Iranian regime.

Shia formed student associations and a Shia party with the fundings from Iran, Sunni began to form sectarian militias recruited from Deobandi and Ahl-i Hadith madrasahs. Preaching against the Shia in Pakistan was radical cleric Israr Ahmed. Muhammad Manzour Numani, a senior Indian cleric with close ties to Saudi Arabia published a book entitled “Iranian Revolution: Imam Khomeini and Shiism. The book, which “became the gospel of Deobandi militants” in the 1980s, attacked Khomeini and argued the excesses of the Islamic revolution were proof that Shiism was not the doctrine of misguided brothers, but beyond the Islamic pale.

Pakistan is the only Sunni majority country where Shias have been elected to top offices and played an important part in the country’s history and nation building. The founder of Pakistan Muhammed Ali Jinnah, Muhammad Ali Bogra and the Bhutto family are Shia Muslims, as is Asif Ali Zardari, Syeda Abida Hussain, Faisal Saleh Hayat and several other top ranking Pakistani Politicians and Generals such as Yahya Khan,Musa Khan and Iskander Mirza.

Saudi Influence

Iranian revolution was seen with concern in Arab nations especially in Saudi Arab. As unanounce policy Saudi and allied nations to watch carefully any further spread of direct or indirect effect of Iranian revolution. In Pakistan around that time Saudi Arabia and America was helping Pakistan and Afghanistan to fight agains USSR therefore Iranian funding was a major concern for Saudi Arabia and America.

Because of massive Saudi assistance to Pakistan in the 1980s, Zia began to shift his favor away from local variants of Sunnism (which were largely tolerant of Shias) towards the far more intolerant Saudi style of Sunnism known as Wahhabism. Much of the violent sectarian conflict can be attributed to the introduction of Wahabbism, which is fundamentally anti-Shia, and gained notoriety in mainstream Sunni Islam after the destruction of the Shia holy shrine of Imam Hussein in Karbala, Iraq, in 1800. Saudi funded arms soon flooded into the country as the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. While the arms were meant to be directed to Afghan fighters, many inevitably ended up in the hands of newly formed Wahhabi paramilitary groups. However, the Wahhabist paramilitary groups attacked not only Shias, but anyone who they felt was not a true Muslim, including Sufis, who have largely influenced the practice of Sunnism in Pakistan.

Spread of Sectarianism

During the 80’s and early 90’s, violence spread as Shia mourning processions during the period of Ashura frequently came under attack from Saudi-backed Wahabbi extremists. Despite the attacks from Wahabbi extremists, many mainstream Sunnis would visit the processions to show their own reverence for historical Shia figures. However according to Wahabbis, the local Sunnis were acting un-Islamic in their participation in Shia rituals, and were considered legitimate targets as such. In response, Iranian-backed Shia militant groups would often attack Wahabbi mosques, and events staged by Wahabbists. Also at the time, old rivalries took on a more sectarian nature in the areas around Gilgit, and Skardu as Saudi and Iranian paramilitary groups spread their influence.

Regional conflict Vs. Sectarian Conflict

Still after 30 or 40 years this is still a regional conflict, a fight of view and opinion of Iran and Saudi Arbia being fought in Pakistan although also being exploited on different time by India, USA and UK.

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