Three people were killed and several others were injured in a bomb explosion during a Muharram procession attended by the minority Shi’ite Muslim community in the city of Bahawalnagar in Pakistan’s Punjab province on Thursday. It is the latest attack on a minority community in the country.
A senior official confirmed that three people, including a seven-year-old girl, were killed, and 50 others were wounded in the blast. “The nature of the explosion is not yet clear as a team is still collecting evidence from the scene,” he added.
Authorities suspended internet access following the attack, citing security concerns regarding the Ashura processions. In addition, to prevent another attack, 9,000 policemen were deployed on the ninth day of the procession. Pakistan Rangers are also conducting aerial surveillance in the area.
Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party, condemned the attack, saying that it highlighted the “universal battle between good and evil.” He said, “Hazrat Imam Hussain (A.S) is a lesson of courage for the people of the world, and Hussainism is another name for resistance for a noble cause.” Apart from him, opposition leader Sehar Kamran also expressed his regret about the incident, calling it a “cracker attack.”
The Ashura procession celebrates the death of Hussain, Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, during the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD, which is considered to be the date of the birth of Shi’ite Islam. The community accounts for around 20% of Pakistan’s population. Shi’ites have historically been victimised by such attacks believed to be conducted by radical Sunni Muslims. Over the years, there have been several attacks on shrines and processions, resulting in thousands of deaths.
The attacks on minorities in Pakistan have been on the rise in recent times. Earlier this month, a mob burned down parts of a Hindu temple and damaged several idols in the Bhong town of Rahim Yar Khan in the Punjab province amid rising communal tensions. The Pakistan Rangers were brought in after the police failed to control the situation. Authorities said that police forces were deployed to deter any more incidents of violence in the area, where almost 100 Hindu families reside.
In fact, several places of worship of Hindus and Sikhs have been attacked this year, including the January 2020 attack on the Mata Rani Bhatiyani Mandir and Gurdwara Sri Janamsthan and the December 2020 attack on the Hindu Temple in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Bomb Explosion at Minority Muslim Community Procession in Pakistan Leaves 3 Dead
Three people were killed and several others were injured in a bomb explosion during Muharram processions by the minority Shi’ite Muslim community in Pakistan.
August 20, 2021
SOURCE: NEWS LIVE TV