PM announces countrywide day of mourning for Ismaili community

E-Paper | May 13, 2026

ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced to observe a day of mourning across the country on Thursday following a deadly attack on Karachi's Ismaili community on Wednesday in which 43 people lost their lives.

Public offices will be flying flags at half-mast and a special prayers will be said for those killed in the attack.

Earlier, the Sindh government had also called for observing a day of mourning following the gruesome attack.

MQM and Tahafuz-e-Azadari Council also called for a day of mourning.

MQM Chief Altaf Hussain requested all businesses, educational institutions and public transportation be suspended in Karachi on Thursday.

At least 43 people were killed and 13 others wounded on Wednesday when armed men opened fire inside a bus carrying members of the Ismaili community near Safoora Chowk in Karachi.

Sindh Police Inspector General Ghulam Haider Jamali said that 60 people were on board the bus when six gunmen entered and executed 43 passengers.

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uhu

May 13, 2015 01:30pm

This is our typical response. Condemnation, condolence, mourning, financial help to the relatives and victims and that's it....Now sit and wait for the next incident.

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faisal

May 13, 2015 02:05pm

Who is responsible for this attack

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Patariot Pakistani

May 13, 2015 02:30pm

The entire sindh administrative body, including IG, AIG, DG-Rangers Karachi, Sindh Interior Ministor, and CM Sindh should resign after this incident. If they don't resign, the Central Government should intervine and terminate them from their position on account of 'incompentancy of performing their duties'. If they don't do it, the Citizens of Karachi should move a pretition against them in the Supreme Court of Law. Enough is Enough! it is high time for response and Shake-Up in these bodies... The new appointies should come very.hard on the elements responsible for this act.

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Arshad

May 13, 2015 02:30pm

What is the benefit of this?

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Malik

May 13, 2015 02:33pm

Government is not going to do any thing against these fanatics, they only have problem with MQM.

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Naved

May 13, 2015 02:33pm

Who is responsible for this painful incident?? Who will fix this religious target killing menace?? Religious / sectarian target killing is left unattended in Karachi, as if its not a problem.

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sohail

May 13, 2015 02:36pm

You are true leader to stand for a cause.

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Dr Basheer

May 13, 2015 02:40pm

Life is sacred be it from any sect or religion. Why you ask? Reason may be because there is no honest debate, introspection. Lying accepted as second nature. Many vested interests.

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Taimur

May 13, 2015 02:41pm

What happened to the action plan which was agreed with political parties in APC? Condemnation...condemnation...condemnation....we are fed up of this word.

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sajjad

May 13, 2015 02:48pm

Fix the responsibility on Government and its ally in Karachi and punish the responsible.

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wahab

May 13, 2015 02:54pm

"The most violent element in society is ignorance."

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Folina

May 13, 2015 03:05pm

Pakistanis are going to forget about it in just 2 days and as usual they will start fighting against MQM. Its time to unite and fight against these fanatics.

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SAM

May 13, 2015 03:05pm

We can only mourn,condem and protest nothing else we can do beyond this.CM should immediately resign from his seat. We do not need such a irresponsible and ineffective govt. Please don't make peaple fool and Don't take an advantage of our patience Its over. How many innocents shall be targeted more ??

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PHILOSOPHER

May 13, 2015 03:22pm

@faisal Some unidentified persons assassinated some innocents for some unknown benefits.... Every after incident we saw such kind of cold response from the Government.....this will be going on ....till when???

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Hamza

May 13, 2015 03:27pm

Government know who did that

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AinakWalaJin

May 13, 2015 04:02pm

Sindh government: the most incompetent government in the world

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Observer

May 13, 2015 04:03pm

So this all Sindh Govt. can do.

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on looker

May 13, 2015 04:12pm

What else they can do!!

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M.Saeed

May 13, 2015 04:29pm

Good work Sindh Government, you are only good for such works.

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Bano

May 13, 2015 04:39pm

So sad for the families of victims. Ismalies the world most peaceful community.There should be harsh reaction of government against terrorist.

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Danish

May 13, 2015 05:07pm

They should be ashamed more than the cosmetic mourning. Sind government do not have any right to get fed on public money. Resign Resign Resign.......

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AMAD NOOR

May 13, 2015 05:13pm

All Pakistan should called for Thursday to be a day of mourning following a deadly attack on Karachi's Ismaili community . we should unite against such a barbaric attacks . It should be never again in Pakistan .

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just saying

May 13, 2015 05:30pm

Instead of mourning, get to work. Take some action, otherwise, generations to come won't forgive you.

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naureen

May 13, 2015 05:30pm

condemnation condolence money to victims family thats it case is closed move on then again repeat when will Pakistan get results

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SEHREEN NOOR ALI

May 13, 2015 06:50pm

very sad

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khan

May 13, 2015 07:37pm

so this is all that is going to be done? morning an crying? No ACTION against terrorists? morning and crying is like a "bully" slaps you in the face and you "mourn and cry"? is that the intention to "cry" PLEASE go after these evil terrorists with ALL means and resources available and bring them to immediate justice! plenty of time to mourn and cry later time for action NOW!

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Zulfiqar Mithani

May 13, 2015 07:42pm

This is a very saden day for ismalis community

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IMRAN ALI

May 13, 2015 08:07pm

...there should be accountability of LEAs,spy agencies ,budgets of armed forces should be discussed in Parliament---,there should be reviewed why Karachi operation is going towards failure and who is responsible for this failure.Every day it is claimed that backbone of TTP is broken in waziristan but the same militants are breaking the backbone of Pakistani everyday.The recently revelation of American writer should be eye opener for us,latest technology should be used for Interrogation instead of using old method of torture to get the desired confessional statement

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Dennis

May 13, 2015 09:00pm

@Patariot Pakistani Easier option would be to fire the minister of education and those responsible for running the madaris and masajid. They are the ones who are failing at stopping the brainwashing of young people. Attacks against soft targets cannot be stopped. What do you want the police to do? Depute a cop on each bus?

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Sarwat

May 13, 2015 09:10pm

@Patariot Pakistani And then the fed government should resign too. They are incompetent at best.

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independentthinker

May 13, 2015 09:11pm

I can understand flags flying at half-mast and special prayers being offered, but to shut down businesses in honour of the deceased - how is that helping? Aren't small businesses suffering already due to riots and other protests, etc., but to be asked by government to shut down their businesses to mourn seems ridiculous, to say the least. Allowing struggling businesses to continue operating is the least we can do, to keep our economy from collapsing.

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S Balu

May 13, 2015 09:40pm

No good in only mourning Questions must be asked WHO BENEFITS FROM THESE KILLINGS? How did Reuters get information What was the method of communications with Reuters

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Sunil

May 13, 2015 09:52pm

This will not console, any peaceful Pakistani citizen, specially the Ishmailis. Instead, efforts need to made, to catch the culprits, tighten security measures for the minorities.

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Bin Adam

May 14, 2015 01:40am

When the top corrupts, criminals, looters and extortionists will be allowed to rule any part and City or region of Country for such a long time that part will ultimately and gradually fall into the gissly hands of all sorts of marauders, criminals and terrorists. Those having the responsibility and authority to bring the influential marauders and terrorists of all sorts to ultimate Justice from top level, have only turned them to monstrous forces of killings and destruction because of their priorities of political expediencies.

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Allaisa

May 14, 2015 01:51am

PM should have announced 43 days of mourning, one day for each person killed. Then he should have declared May 13th as Ismaili Memorial day and a national holiday. SHIAs should call for a strike of 43 days when no business is allowed.

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