FWU Journal of Social Sciences, Summer 2025, Vol.19, No.2, 1-15 DOI: http://doi.org/10.51709/19951272/Summer2025/1 The Plight of Shia Hazaras in Balochistan, Pakistan: From Persecution to Resilience Shehzadi Zamurrad Awan Forman Christian College (A Chartered University), Lahore, Pakistan Naima Shifa DePauw University, IN, US The Shia Hazara Community in Pakistan has faced prolonged violence, torture, discrimination, and harassment, which peaked notably from 1999 to 2015. Today, though the frequency of violent incidents has decreased, the Shia Hazara community continues to endure persistent threats, discrimination, and harassment, including sporadic targeted killings. This survey-based investigation draws upon 117 Hazara community members residing in two central localities (Hazara Town and Mariabad) of Quetta, Balochistan, to understand socio-economic discrimination and pervasive insecurity, the intricate interplay of ethnicity and religion, and additional influential factors that contribute to sustained persecution. In this investigation, besides descriptive statistics and visualization, authors utilize robust statistical techniques encompassing Chi-Squared tests for independence, testing independence for ordinal variables, counts, and rates. This study unearths compelling evidence revealing the profound extent of discrimination endured by the Hazara community in the public domain and the tenacious resistance strategies they harness to combat their subjugation . Keywords: shia Hazaras, Pakistan, Quetta, Balochistan, target killing The marginalized Shia Hazara community of Pakistan makes up roughly 40% of Quetta city, the capital of Balochistan province. The population is primarily concentrated in the localities of Mariabad and Hazara Town, approximately 10-13 kilometers apart and mainly connected by Alamdar Road. 1 In early 2023, the Hazara population was estimated to be between 560,000 and 900,000 across Pakistan, of which 600,000 are concentrated in Quetta, making up the third largest ethnic group in the city, after the Baloch and Pashtun (Minority Rights Group International, 2018). Hazaras have significantly contributed to the development of Pakistani society in different fields, including armed forces and sports. A notable example is General Muhammad Musa, who served as Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army and later as a Governor of Balochistan. 2 Since 2003, Hazaras has also had its political party, the Hazara Democratic Party- HDP (Qayyum, 2018). Despite this, the community has faced structural violence, making them heavily reliant on remittances from relatives settled abroad, as their businesses have been severely impacted by escalating violence and targeted killings. In addition to persecution, discrimination affects their daily lives, employment prospects, and access to education and healthcare facilities. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Dr. Shehzadi Zamurrad Awan, Associate Professor, Political Science Department at Forman Christian College (A Chartered University), Lahore, Pakistan. The author can be reached at zamurradawan@fccollege.edu.pk