Inside Pakistan's 'Hazara Town' Ghetto
The Hazara, a minority group that is targeted by Islamic extremists in Pakistan’s Balochistan Province, often live inside sealed-off communities for their own safety.
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An entrance to Pakistan’s Hazara Town, on the outskirts of Quetta.
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Hazara boys fly a kite on a hill above Quetta. In recent years a surge in sectarian killings targeting the ethnic Hazara minority has led Pakistan’s security forces to seal off some sections of Quetta -- the capital of the restive Balochistan region -- with walls and checkpoints.
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Hazara schoolchildren in Quetta. Most Hazara are Shi'ite Muslims and a frequent target for Sunni extremists.
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A taxi driver in Hazara Town. The man’s tattoo features the name of a friend who was killed in a bomb blast.
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A Hazara man weeps over the body of a relative after gunmen killed 13 people as they headed to work in October 2011. Pakistan’s Hazara are particularly vulnerable to sectarian terror due to their distinctive appearance.
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A Hazara carpenter in Quetta. Although their lineage is disputed, many believe Pakistan’s Hazara minority are descendants of Genghis Khan’s military, which marauded through neighboring Afghanistan in the 13th century.
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Sardar Sahil, a Hazara lawyer and rights activist, packs his handgun before leaving his home in Hazara Town. He told Reuters: "We are living under siege for more than 15 years due to sectarian attacks."
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Sahil kisses his mother goodbye before leaving home inside the walled neighborhood. The 30-year-old says that "though all these checkpoints were established for our security, we feel we were also cut off from other communities."
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Hazara men play a round of Sang Girag in a Hazara enclave within Quetta.
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The traditional Hazara game involves two teams taking turns hurling stones at a beer can-sized target. The first team to hit the target 10 times wins.
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A young bodybuilder in Hazara Town. Nearly a million Hazara live in Pakistan, with a majority living inside guarded enclaves in Quetta.
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A girl in traditional finery during Hazara Culture Day in Quetta on June 21, 2019.
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Hazara inside a teahouse in Quetta.
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Due to the danger of venturing outside, many Pakistani Hazara say they are effectively trapped inside the ghettos of Quetta.
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Mubarak Ali Shan poses in Quetta. The martial arts expert told Reuters that many Hazara have found a way out of their constricted life by joining Pakistan’s military. "We want to serve Pakistan and despite suffering tragedies and incidents, our love for peace has not diminished."