04 June 2004	Friday	15 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

KARACHI, June 3: The family members of the persons, who had died in a blast inside Imambargah Ali Raza, on Thursday, served an ultimatum on the government to arrest the blast culprits within 72 hours, otherwise the authorities would be responsible for the consequences.

The demand was made by the speakers on behalf of the victims' family members at a collective soyem on Thursday at MA Jinnah Road in front of the desecrated Imambargah.

The speakers also demanded a compensation of Rs500,000 for each victim's family, besides provision of government jobs to a member of each bereaved family. Demanding compensation for the injured, the speakers also called on the government to pay Rs1 million to carry out repairs of the damaged Imambargah.

They also demanded scrutiny of police, alleging that many 'black sheep' had penetrated the force. Speaking on the occasion, Allama Zohair Abdi, said that reshuffling in police and administration was not our concern.

"We have been burying our dead killed in sectarian attacks for the last ten years, but during this period does any of the culprits facing charges have been hanged," the Allama asked from the government.

He said that all the pending sectarian cases should be disposed of within a period of three months, otherwise Shia community would be compelled to lay siege to the courts.

Referring to the lethargic role of the state prosecutor, Allama demanded that some other prosecutor should be appointed for a speedy disposal of the pending cases.

Holding the banned outfits, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi and Sipah-i-Sahaba, responsible for the bombings at the Imambargahs, Allama said that there were no differences among the followers of the Shia and the Sunni sects, adding that both the communities were at peace with each other.

Criticizing some Ulema of Shia community for forwarding the agenda of different political parties and rushing to meet the senior police officials, Allama explained that the community had neither any link with any political party nor it would allow any vested interest to use its platform.

Earlier, speaking on the occasion, Maulana Aftab Haider Abdi criticized the government for its utter failure to protect the life and property of the innocent people. He accused the law-enforcing agencies of backing the culprits.

The anti-Muslim forces did not want to see sectarian harmony in the country and were bent upon creating Shia-Sunni riots like 1982-83 in the city, he said. Some family members of those killed in the recent Quetta carnage's also attended the soyem of the Imambargah Ali Raza victim's. Following the soyem the mourners dispersed peacefully.