SHIKARPUR: As the nation mourns Friday's deadly blast on Shikarpur's Masjid-o-Imambargah Karbala-i-Moulla that killed at least 60 people, Station House Officer (SHO) Lakhi Gate Bashir Ahmed Khokar and the head constable have been suspended for showing negligence in performing their duties.

Additionally, constable Javed who had been designated the security of the imambargah has been arrested.

Businesses in almost all major cities of Sindh remained closed early on Saturday while sit-ins to protest the government’s failure to afford protection to members of the Shia community were organised in Karachi.

A large number of people came out in protest against the attack in Shikarpur itself and set alight tires.

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A mass funeral of the victims has been planned to take place on Saturday afternoon.

After the tragedy struck, Inspector General (IG) Sindh Police Ghulam Qadir Thebo formulated a two member committee to investigate the bombing under the leadership of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Raja Umar Khattab.

SSP Khattab visited the site of the fatal blast along with SSP Mazhar Mashwani today and observed the destruction rendered by the deadly attack.

After collecting crucial evidence, SSP Khattab confirmed to Dawn that the explosion was a suicide blast.

A counter-terrorism team of officers from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) also proceeded to the blast site on Saturday for investigation and took statements from eye-witnesses.

Police officials said the suicide jacket had been filled with ball bearings, the use of which is aimed at magnifying the impact of the blast.

The investigation has moreover revealed that the explosive material used in the blast weighed five to seven kilograms.