Inside Pakistan's 'Hazara Town' Ghetto

An entrance to Pakistan’s Hazara Town, on the outskirts of Quetta.

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.

Hazara schoolchildren in Quetta. Most Hazara are Shi'ite Muslims and a frequent target for Sunni extremists.

A taxi driver in Hazara Town. The man’s tattoo features the name of a friend who was killed in a bomb blast.

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.

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.

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."

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."

Hazara men play a round of Sang Girag in a Hazara enclave within Quetta.

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.

A young bodybuilder in Hazara Town. Nearly a million Hazara live in Pakistan, with a majority living inside guarded enclaves in Quetta.

A girl in traditional finery during Hazara Culture Day in Quetta on June 21, 2019.

Hazara inside a teahouse in Quetta.

Due to the danger of venturing outside, many Pakistani Hazara say they are effectively trapped inside the ghettos of Quetta.

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."