Recently in Balochistan region of Pakistan 11 coal miners, who belong to Hazara Tribe, were abducted and killed. In the backdrop of it, Hazara tribe has been protesting against the massacre for which the Islamic State claimed the responsibility. Families of Hazara coal miners have refused to bury the bodies and are demanding immediate action against the perpetrators.
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About Hazaras
Hazaras are the Persian-speaking ethnic group. The tribe is native to the mountainous region of Hazarajat in Afghanistan. They are known to be the third-largest ethnic group in Afghanistan. The tripe is a minority group in Pakistan residing predominantly in Balochistan region of Pakistan. Hazara are a mixture of western Eurasian and eastern Eurasian components, genetically. Thus, they are racially Eurasian. Research shows that, Hazaras of Afghanistan cluster closely with the Uzbek population of the country. Some recent study highlights that the Uyghurs are closely associated to the Hazaras. It has been further studied that, there exists a small but notable East Asian ancestry in other populations of Pakistan and India
Language spoken by Hazaras
The tribe use to speak the Hazaragi dialect of Persian. The Hazarangi language is intelligible with Dari language which is the one of the official languages of Afghanistan.
Challenges faced by the tribe
The Hazaras, who belong to Shia sect, are one of the most oppressed groups in Afghanistan. The tribe is vulnerable to persecution since decades.
Background
The Hazaras were first mentioned by Babur in the early 16th century. Later the court historians of Shah Abbas of the Safavid dynasty mentioned them. The tribe embraced Shia Islam during the Safavid Period between 16th and 17th century.
The Uyghurs
They are a Turkic ethnic group. They origin can be traced to the region of Central and East Asia. They are culturally affiliated with this region. They are native to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China. They are called to be one among 55 officially recognized ethnic minorities in China.