The Facts
- Seven school workers allegedly part of Pakistan’s minority Shiite community were killed in a shooting in Pakistan’s northwestern Kurram district, according to officials. This comes hours after a Sunni staff member at the same school was shot earlier on Thursday in a separate incident.
- Police say the later attack — which also left two injured — happened after students finished examinations. All eight casualties from the two incidents were men, including five teachers and three school support staff members.
- The suspects are still at large, and Kurram police official Abbas Ali says it's unknown whether the two shootings were related. However, attacks on Pakistan’s minority Shiite population have been growing, especially in Kuram’s province, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
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The Spin
Narrative A
While there's limited information, preliminary evidence indicates that sectarian violence motivated the heinous attack on seven Shiite teachers in northwestern Pakistan. After a Sunni Muslim was killed earlier in the day, gunmen retaliated, killing members of Islam’s other sect. The perpetrators must be held accountable.
Narrative B
While some believe that sectarian animus amid rising tensions in the region caused the shootings, it's very likely that the area’s proximity to Afghanistan could have played a role, as Kurram has seen multiple cross-border terror attacks. Pakistan's government needs to take assertive action to prevent future acts of terrorism.