 Lahore has once again been preyed upon. The blood of its people lies splattered along the roads and mourners have once again found another reason to grieve. Marking the martyrdom of Hazrat Ali (RA) in a procession in Lahore’s Bhaati Gate locality, Shia devotees were brutally targeted in what can only be called a coordinated and cold-blooded attack on the most vulnerable of people: those gathered in reverence who have no malicious intentions whatsoever. A hand-grenade was first flung into the thronging mourners at Karbala Gamay Shah from a nearby rooftop, causing the people to flee and stampede, with security officials also running for their lives. The second blast occurred at Bhaati Gate Chowk where a suicide bomber exploded himself right in the midst of the crowd. When enraged crowds started gathering around the remains of their brethren, the third — and deadliest — blast occurred, also a suicide bombing. Flying into a vicious fury, the mourners punished police officials by thrashing them, pelting them with stones and storming the Lower Mall and Bhaati Gate police stations. The Lashkar-e-Jhangvi al-Alami has claimed responsibility. Anyone with even an iota of sympathy for militant organisations ought to consider one thing: Pakistan is drowning in floods and their accompanying misery and the terrorists continue to maim and kill. They are truly atrocious and calling them human beings is a disgrace to mankind. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is an anti-Shia organisation that considers minorities as fair pickings. Reports indicate that intelligence officials had warned the Punjab police about a possible attack on this occasion and it has been cited by the Lahore Commissioner Mr. Khusro Pervez that police negligence was one of the main reasons for the ferocity of the attack. The police, considering their many failings, cannot be completely absolved of their disastrous role in ensuring the safety of the crowds. Finding scapegoats the Punjab government on Thursday made high-level changes in the Police Department and bureaucracy. Punjab Home Secretary Nadeem Hassan Asif has been made an OSD and Punjab Industries Secretary Shahid Khan has been posted as the new Home Department secretary. Special Branch Additional IG Col (r) Ehsanur Rehman has been removed and posted as the Punjab Civilian Defence Director General. Police Training College Sahala Commandant Nasir Durani has replaced him. Karachi also saw violence during the Youm-e-Ali procession when unidentified miscreants opened fire. Thank goodness no one was killed, although seven people were injured, and the procession continued to its conclusion. Meanwhile, Interior Minister Rehman Malik urged the Shia community on Thursday not to hold mourning processions in open places to avoid more suicide attacks. “How can police provide security to a gathering of 15,000 people,” the minister said while talking to reporters outside the Parliament House. Activists of the Shia Ulema Council and Jafria Alliance held separate demonstrations in protest against bomb blasts in Karbala Gammey Shah in Lahore and firing on a mourning procession in Karachi, here on Thursday outside the local press club. Council leaders Allama Altaf Hussain Al-Hussaini and Syed Kazim Hussain Shah Naqvi said that leaders of the banned outfit, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi International, should be hanged publicly because they had accepted responsibility of the blasts. These elements wanted to ban processions, the council leaders said, adding that come what may they would not give up their religious ritual. . Syed Rashid Hussain, president of the alliance, demanded that the government should take measures to stop genocide of the Millat-e-Jafria and alleged that the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Sipah-e-Sahaba enjoyed the support of the Punjab government, especially its law minister. Carrying placards, they accused Punjab government of supporting terrorists. |