09 May 2004	Sunday	18 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

ISLAMABAD, May 8: The chief of his own faction of the Pakistan Muslim League, Mian Nawaz Sharif, and the PML-N president, Mian Shahbaz Sharif, have expressed shock and grief over the bomb blast in a Karachi mosque.

In a joint statement issued by the party's camp office here on Saturday, the PML-N leaders condemned the incident and termed it a result of incompetence and negligence on the part of security agencies.

They expressed heartfelt sympathy with the affected families, and said enemies of the country, who not only wanted to disturb peace but also shatter national unity by setting the Sunni and Shia sects against each other, engineered the dastardly deed.

The PML-N leaders said anti-Islamic elements had been engaged in such terrorist acts for sometime, but the leaders of both the sects had shown exemplary sagacity and wisdom to frustrate their designs. They expressed confidence that such conspiracies to disrupt sectarian harmony and national unity would never succeed.

Our Reporter from Islamabad adds: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan has condemned the Karachi mosque bombing and blamed the government for failing in its primary responsibility to provide security to the people.

In a statement, the PTI chief said increasing acts of terrorism in Quetta, Gwadar and Karachi indicated a systemic breakdown of law and order. The hotch potch government of Sindh cobbled together by the establishment has no agenda except to pursue vested interests, he said.

He said the 'fake' political system established by Gen Musharraf to perpetuate his rule was cracking up. Instead of focusing on providing security to the people, the security agencies are devoting all their time and resources to hound the opposition.