Barelvi Militancy in Pakistan and Salmaan Taseer’s Murder

Abstract

In “Barelvi Militancy in Pakistan and Salmaan Taseer’s Murder”, Jawad Syed focuses on Barelvi-related violence and Salmaan Taseer’s murder. He argues that the tragic murder of Punjab Governor Taseer in 2011 raises questions about the extent of Sunni Sufi or Barelvi extremism and the resultant militancy. In view of the significant support for Taseer’s murderer by a section of Barelvis, there is a need to probe Barelvi militancy in terms of its current capability and future potential. Syed offers such probing, as well as an account of violence facing Sunni Sufis and Barelvis at the hands of Deobandi militants.

Appendix: Sunni Sufi and Barelvi Killings in Pakistan

Date	Province	Place	Incident	Killed/injured
18 December 1986	Punjab	Mananwala	Khalid Mahmood killed	1/0
14 February 1987	Punjab	Tandlianwala	Sher Ali, Javed Iqbal and Babar Hussain killed	3/0
15 November 1989	Punjab	Jhang	Hafiz Muhammad Afzal killed during Milad	1/0
16 February 1991	Punjab	Gujranwala	Rana Shaukat Ali killed	1/0
31 May 1991	Punjab	Sargodha	Imdad Hussain killed in Dhalli area	1/0
15 June 1991	Sindh	Karachi	Abdus Salam Qadri of ST killed	1/0
12 August 1994	Punjab	Gujranwala	Maulana Akram Rizvi killed	1/0
9 December 1994	Punjab	Faisalabad	Abdur Rahman Raza killed	1/0
9 December 1995	Punjab	Wazirabad	Shabbir Hussain Shah killed	1/0
12 January 1996	Punjab	Jhang	Ihsanullah killed	1/0
5 February 1996	Punjab	Layyah	Fazl Husain Fazl killed	1/0
14 July 1996	Punjab	Lahore	Ilyas Qadri attacked, Sajjad Raza and Ahmed Raza killed	2/0
10 December 1996	Punjab	Lahore	Irfan Waraich killed	1/0
10 December 1996	Punjab	Gujranwala	Shahzad Butt, Masood Khalid Mufti and Ismat Noori killed	3/0
17 April 1997	Punjab	Sialkot	Naeem Bhatti killed	1/0
10 July 1997	Sindh	Karachi	Javed Qadri killed	1/0
16 January 1998	Sindh	Karachi	Saleem Qadri killed	1/0
6 February 1998	Sindh	Karachi	Haseeb Khan killed in Shah Faisal Colony	1/0
29 June 1998	Punjab	Bahawalpur	Kaleemullah Khan Saeedi killed	1/0
16 July 1998	Sindh	Karachi	Saleem Qadri killed	1/0
18 July 1998	Sindh	Karachi	Abdul Waheed Qadri of ST killed	1/0
18 April 1999	FATA	Khyber	Pir Baba’s shrine attacked	2/6
20 December 2000	Punjab	Sialkot	Mehr Waryam killed	1/0
6 April 2001	Sindh	Karachi	Hafiz Pir Muhammad Piral and Zakir Hussain killed during Milad	2/0
18 May 2001	Sindh	Karachi	ST leader Saleem Qadri assassinated; Anis Qadri, Abid Baloch, Altaf Juneju and Hafeez Qadri killed	6/3
1 May 2002	Punjab	Lahore	Deobandi SSP terrorists killed Dr Murtaza Malik, his driver and a policeman in Gulshan-i-Iqbal	3/0
19 August 2002	Punjab	Muzaffargarh	Shahid Qadri killed	1/0
18 October 2003	Punjab	Sialkot	Irshad Akhtar killed	1/0
9 November 2004	Sindh	Karachi	Kamran Qadri and Meraj Qadri killed	2/0
10 February 2005	Islamabad Capital Territory	Islamabad	Barri Imam’s caretaker Akram Raja killed	1/0
19 March 2005	Balochistan	Jhal Magsi	Deobandi suicide bomber killed 50 at the shrine of Pir Rakhel Shah in Jhal Magsi, Balochistan	50/85
18 April 2005	Sindh	Karachi	Tahir Qadri killed	1/0
27 May 2005	Islamabad Capital Territory	Islamabad	A suicide bomber attacked a gathering at Bari Imam shrine during the annual festival	28/100
5 June 2005	Sindh	Karachi	Ashraf Qadri, Faiz-ul-Hasan Butt and Danish Qadri killed	3/0
13 August 2005	Sindh	Karachi	Islamic TV channel (QTV’s) Maulana Abdul Karim Naqshbandi killed	1/0
12 October 2005	Sindh	Karachi	Muhammad Ali Qadri and Akhtar Shah killed	2/0
30 October 2005	Sindh	Karachi	Nadeem Qadri killed	1/0
5 December 2005	Sindh	Karachi	Maulana Habib-ur-Rehman Saeedi killed	1/0
15 December 2005	Sindh	Karachi	Muhammad Adnan Butt Attari killed	1/0
26 January 2006	Balochistan	Hubb	Grenade attack on a Sufi shrine, Syed Shah Bukhari	3/0
11 April 2006	Sindh	Karachi	A grand Sunni Barelvi congregation celebrating Eid Milad un Nabi suicide-bombed. Entire leadership of the ST was killed, including 49 Sunni leaders and Maulana Abbas Qadri, Akram Qadri, Iftikhar Butt, Mufti Shahid Attari, Dr Abdul Qadeer Abbasi, Hannif Billo, President of Jamaat Ahle Sunnat, Hafiz Taqi, leader of the JUP, and ex-member of the National Assembly	57/150
14 April 2006	Sindh	Karachi	ASWJ bomb scare in Dawat Islami Faizan-e-Madina	30/45
14 April 2006	Punjab	Faisalabad	Maulana Abdul Qadir killed by the SSP/ASWJ	1/0
10 July 2006	Sindh	Karachi	Driver of the head of ST killed at airport	1/0
12 May 2007	Sindh	Karachi	Sohail Qadri killed	1/0
8 July 2007	Islamabad Capital Territory	Islamabad	Colonel Haroon Islam killed by Deobandi terrorists of Lal Masjid	1/0
28 July 2007	FATA	Khyber	Haji Shah Torangzai Lakro shrine destroyed and converted to Deobandi Mosque	0/0
28 December 2007	FATA	Khyber	Abdul Shakoor Malang Baba’s shrine attacked	6/7
3 March 2008	KP	Peshawar	Abu Saeed Baba’s shrine attacked by rockets	10/6
18 March 2008	FATA	Bara	Sufi shrine attacked	13/9
26 March 2008	Sindh	Karachi	Noman Qadri killed	1/0
28 March 2008	Sindh	Karachi	Muhammad Ejaz Qadri killed	1/0
30 March 2008	Sindh	Karachi	Faizan Qadri and Awais Qadri of ST killed	2/0
23 April 2008	Sindh	Karachi	Amir Abul Hasan of ST killed in Korangi	1/0
1 May 2008	KP	Peshawar	Ash-hab Baba’s shrine attacked	3/0
7 July 2008	Sindh	Karachi	Sufi shrine attacked in Peer Mangu	1/4
19 September 2008	Balochistan	Quetta	Bomb exploded at an Islamic religious school. Victims included Sunni Sufis, Barelvis and Deobandis	5/8
10 October 2008	KP	Swat	Pir Samiullah’s brother was killed	1/0
15 October 2008	Sindh	Karachi	Abdus Sattar Qadri of ST killed	1/0
17 October 2008	Sindh	Karachi	Sultan Qadri and Irfan Qadri killed	2/0
19 October 2008	Sindh	Karachi	Noor Muhammad Qadri killed	1/0
28 October 2008	Sindh	Karachi	Wasim Qadri and Fahim Qadri killed	2/0
10 November 2008	Sindh	Karachi	Furqan Qadri killed	1/0
11 November 2008	Sindh	Karachi	Hafiz Farhan Naqshbandi and Asif Qadri killed, Ahmed Qadir and Sajid Qadri injured	2/2
9 December 2008	KP	Buner	Pir Baba’s shrine attacked	1/6
15 December 2008	Sindh	Karachi	Muhammad Ali of ST killed	1/0
16 December 2008	KP	Swat	Pir Samiullah was killed by extremist Deobandis; his body was exhumed and desecrated	1/0
17 January 2009	KP	Peshawar	Pir Rafiullah killed	1/0
17 February 2009	KP	Peshawar	Pir Syed Phool Badshah Bukhari killed	1/0
18 February 2009	Balochistan	Quetta	JUP-Noorani’s provincial leader Maulana Iftikhar Ahmed Habibi killed	1/0
5 March 2009	KP	Peshawar	Rahman Baba shrine bombed	0/0
7 March 2009	KP	Nowshera	Pir Bahadar Baba shrine attacked	1/12
9 March 2009	Punjab	Faisalabad	Muhammad Anwar Attari of Dawat Islami killed during Milad rally	1/0
9 March 2009	KP	Hazro	Dilnawaz Khan and Waheed killed	2/0
1 May 2009	FATA	Landi Kotal	Amir Humza Shinwari’s shrine attacked with rockets	5/0
6 May 2009	FATA	Orakzai	Pir Khayal Muhammad shrine attacked	7/0
8 May 2009	KP	Peshawar	Pir Sheikh Ali Baba or Omar Baba Shrine attacked	6/0
12 June 2009	Punjab	Lahore	Mufti Sarfraz Naeemi killed in a Deobandi ASWJ suicide attack	6/15
2 September 2009	Islamabad Capital Territory	Islamabad	Hamid Saeed Kazmi attacked and injured	0/1
4 December 2009	Punjab	Rawalpindi	Suicide bombing in army mosque in Rawalpindi	37/67
5 January 2010	FATA	Orakzai	Seven shrines attacked; many injured or kidnapped	0/35
1 April 2010	FATA	Khyber	Sufi shrine attacked	10/20
22 April 2010	FATA	Orakzai	Pir Baba Abdul Haq shrine attacked	3/0
20 June 2010	Sindh	Karachi	Firoz Khan of ST killed	1/0
21 June 2010	KP	Peshawar	Pir Baba Umar Mian shrine attacked in Chamkani	11/0
1 July 2010	Punjab	Lahore	Two Deobandi suicide bombers blew themselves up at the Sufi shrine, Data Durbar Complex	50/200
15 July 2010	FATA	Landi Kotal	Haji Sahibzada Siddiq Binor alias Peer Bacha shrine attacked	8/0
19 August 2010	Punjab	Lahore	Pir Khaki Shah Rasool shrine attacked in Green Town Bagrian	7/0
20 September 2010	KP	Peshawar	Pir Saalik Shah Baba shrine attacked	3/0
2 October 2010	KP	Mardan	Dr Muhammad Farooq Khan killed	1/0
7 October 2010	Sindh	Karachi	Adbullah Shah Ghazi shrine attacked	21/60
24 October 2010	FATA	Khyber	Syed Muhammad Shah shrine in Pranga bombed	4/0
25 October 2010	Punjab	Pakpattan	Baba Farid Ganj Shakar shrine attacked	11/25
14 December 2010	KP	Peshawar	Ghazi Baba shrine attacked	3/5
3 January 2011	FATA	Waziristan	In South Waziristan, Baba Musa Neeka shrine bombed	4/0
4 February 2011	Punjab	Lahore	Baba Saeen shrine attacked	3/27
5 March 2011	KP	Nowshera	Akhund Panju Baba shrine mosque	13/30
3 April 2011	Punjab	Dera Ghazi Khan	Sakhi Sarwar shrine attacked	62/120
18 April 2011	Punjab	Gujranwala	Ex-Ahle Hadith Omar Farooqi Tauheedi attacked; Hammad Tauheedi killed	1/1
20 April 2011	Sindh	Karachi	Farhan Qadri and his wife killed	2/0
21 April 2011	Balochistan	Quetta	Abdul Kabir Qambrani Qadri, his son Muhamamd Amin, friends Dur Muhammad Khan and Shamsuddin Qadri killed	4/5
24 May 2011	Sindh	Karachi	Commando Muhammad Rashid Attari killed in ASWJ’s attack on Pakistan Naval Station Mehran	1/0
22 July 2011	FATA	Landi Kotal	Kotal Hamza Shinwari shrine attacked	3/0
19 October 2011	FATA	Khyber	Agency Haji Gul shrine near Pir Noor ul Haq Qadri Member of the National Assembly (MNA’s) house	2/0
21 October 2011	KP	Swabi	Karim Shah shrine bombed	2/0
1 November 2011	KP	Dera Ismail Khan	Saeedullah Daad Shah shrine bombed	3/0
11 December 2011	FATA	Khyber	Agency Nisar Baba shrine detonated; Sheika Bahadar Bara	4/0
3 February 2012	KP	Peshawar	Phandu Baba shrine attacked at Chamkani	0/0
10 March 2012	Sindh	Karachi	Saleem Qadri killed	1/0
16 April 2012	Sindh	Karachi	Two ST workers, 30-year-old Rashid and 35-year-old Yahya, shot dead in Gulshan-e-Zahoor in Lines Area	2/0
21 June 2012	KP	Peshawar	Shrine of Hazrat Panj Peer attacked	3/0
18 May 2012	Sindh	Karachi	Shehbaz Qadri and Armaghan Qadri killed	2/0
3 May 2012	Punjab	Lahore	Shakil Qadri of ST killed	1/0
13 August 2012	Sindh		Karachi Arif and Sajid Khan of ST killed	2/0
14 August 2012	Sindh	Karachi	Aftab Chishti of the ST District West and Fahim Qadri shot dead in Baldia Town	2/0
5 December 2012	Sindh	Karachi	Zahid Qadri of ST killed	1/0
6 January 2013	Sindh	Karachi	Two ST workers killed: Abdur Razzaq and Muhammad Ali	2/0
26 February 2013	Sindh	Shikarpur	Hajan Shah Huzoori at Marri village killed	4/12
15 April 2013	Punjab	Faisalabad	Sahibzada Haji Fazle Kareem poisoned	1/0
4 May 2013	Punjab	Lahore	ST’s Khurram Raza Qadri shot dead	1/0
2 June 2013	Sindh	Karachi	Jawad Qadri and Yasir Qadri killed	2/0
26 August 2013	Sindh	Karachi	Javed Qadri of ST killed in Ranchore Lines	1/0
30 November 2013	Sindh	Karachi	Saleem, a Sufi malang, kidnapped and beheaded	1/0
31 December 2013	KP	Charsadda	Baba sahib shrine bombed	3/0
7 January 2014	Sindh	Karachi	Six Sunni Sufis slaughtered at Ayub Shah Bukhari shrine	6/0
10 January 2014	KP	Mardan	Shaheed Ghazi Baba shrine attacked	2/0
3 February 2014	Sindh	Karachi	Kamran Qadri of ST killed in Manghopir	1/0
9 February 2014	Sindh	Karachi	Aastana Per Mehrban Shah, Baldia Town, attacked	8/16
16 February 2014	KP	Peshawar	Peer Israr killed in Shambokhel, Peshawar, with eight relatives and companions	9/0
20 May 2014	Sindh	Karachi	Two brothers, Amanullah Qadri and Ameenullah Qadri of ST, killed in Orangi Town	2/0
17 June 2014	Punjab	Lahore	PAT workers killed by Punjab Police	14/89
23 June 2014	Islamabad Capital Territory	Islamabad	Chan pir shrine attacked near Shahzad Town	2/80
2 July 2014	Sindh	Karachi	Maqsood Qadri target killed; Naeem Qadri injured	1/1
9 August 2014	Punjab	Bhakkar	Sunni Barelvi leader of PAT killed	1/0
9 August 2014	Punjab	Kamoke	Sunni Barelvi leader killed	1/0
20 August 2014	Punjab	Gujranwala	Sunni Barelvi leader of PAT killed: Shoaib	35/1
24 August 2014	Sindh	Karachi	Nazar Hussain Shah dargah attacked in Korangi; another attack in Gizri	1/1
26 August 2014	Balochistan	Mastung	Sheikh Taqi shrine attacked	5/0
28 August 2014	Balochistan	Avaran	Sunni Sufi shrine attacked and Sunnis killed	6/13
31 August 2014	Islamabad Capital Territory	Islamabad	PAT workers killed by PML-N police	4/12
6 September 2014	Punjab	Sargodha	ISI’s Brigadier Fazle Zahoor, his brother Fazle Subhani and another Sunni Sufi killed	3/3
18 September 2014	Sindh	Karachi	Dr Shakil Auj killed by Deobandi ASWJ terrorists after an alleged fatwa by Mufti Rafi Usmani	1/0
19 September 2014 Sindh		Karachi	ST worker Meraj Muhammad killed	1/0
1 October 2014	Sindh	Karachi	ST worker Muhammad Hussain Qadri killed	1/0
1 October 2014	Sindh	Karachi	Sunni ST worker Hasan alias Lala killed in Godhra camp	1/0
19 October 2014	Sindh	Karachi	Faisal Qadri killed in fake encounter	1/0
20 October 2014	Sindh	Karachi	Afzal Qadri of Sunni Tahreek killed	1/0
1 November 2014	Punjab	Chicha	PAT leader Maulana Hafiz Bashir ul Qadri killed	1/0
12 November 2014	Balochistan	Quetta	2 Sunnis along with 2 Shias and a Hindu killed	2/2
26 December 2014	Sindh	Karachi	Qadir Shah killed in Baldia Town Karachi	1/0
19 February 2015	KP	Abbottabad	Maulana Mehmud Shah Rizvi killed in Mansehra	1/0
2 March 2015	Balochistan	Usta	Ghausia mosque attacked	2/5
18 April 2015	Sindh	Karachi	Sunni Ittehad Council’s leader Tariq Mehboob attacked	1/0
29 April 2015	Sindh	Karachi	Prof Syed Abdur Rehman killed	1/0
31 May 2015	KP	Dera Ismail Khan	Deobandi terrorists attacked Sunni Barelvi spiritual leader, Peer Atal Sharif, and his son in a roadside bomb attack	0/2
17 September 2015	Sindh	Karachi	Sunni Sufi shrine Zinda Peer attacked	2/4
22 June 2016	Sindh	Karachi	Famous Sufi singer Amjad Sabri target killed by the Taliban	1/0

1. Note: This table comprises the most notable incidents only.

Total number of notable Sunni Sufi and Barelvi leaders and activists target killed = 617 (excluding the Sufi/Barelvi deaths in indiscriminate attacks by the TTP/ASWJ).