LeJ claimed responsibility for Jacobabad blast: Sindh home minister

Published October 24, 2015
Sindh Home Minister  Suhail Anwar Siyal claimed that Indian intelligence ageny RAW is behind all the terrorist activities in Pakistan ─ APP
Sindh Home Minister Suhail Anwar Siyal claimed that Indian intelligence ageny RAW is behind all the terrorist activities in Pakistan ─ APP

KARACHI: Sindh Interior Minister Suhail Anwar Siyal said on Saturday that the banned sectarian outfit Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LeJ) has claimed responsibility for Friday's suicide bombing at a Muharram procession in Jacobabad.

Speaking to media persons in Karachi, the Sindh Home Minister claimed that the attack was a suicide bombing and the banned sectarian outfit LeJ is behind the attack.

He added that two separate committees have been formed to investigate the attack.

"Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) is behind terrorist attacks in Pakistan and they are active across Sindh," said Siyal.

Related: Two committees formed to investigate Jacobabad blast

Meanwhile, Shia organisations have staged a sit-in in Jacobabad calling for the relevant security officials to be removed for their negligence in not preventing the deadly tragedy.

Sindh CM announces compensation

Sindh Chief Minsiter Qaim Ali Shah reached Jacobabad on Saturday and announced a compensation of Rs2 million for the family of each person who lost life as a result of the suicide attack in Jacobabad.

“Those handicapped will get Rs1 million along with a government job while lightly injured victims will get a sum of Rs0.2 million as compensation,” said Shah.

CM Sindh also added that the Deputy Superintendent Police (DSP) of the area has been suspended.

Shah was of the view that the overall security situation of the province has improved as only two terrorist attacks occurred in the province during the year, the one earlier in Shikarpur and the one in Jacobabad.

He further announced that the Sindh government will refer the Jacobabad attack case to military courts.

Yesterday, a powerful suicide blast ripped through a Muharram procession in Jacobabad city of Sindh, killing 24 people, mostly children, and injuring more than 40 others.

A mourning procession was returning from Shershah-Jo-Per to Quetta Road in Lashari Muhalla when the suicide attack took place.

In another incident of terrorism on Thursday, a suicide attacker blew himself outside an Imambargah in Bolan district of Balochistan, killing at least 10 people and injuring 12 others.

The attack was also claimed by the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

Related: LeJ claims Bolan imambargah attack

United Nations (UN) chief Ban Ki-Moon also condemned the two blasts and mourned the loss of lives in a statement released from his New York office on Saturday. He also called upon the Pakistan government to bring the perpetrators of the terrorist attack to justice.

Pakistan has a history of attacks on religious processions in the Islamic holy month of Muharram, especially on 9th and 10th of the month, claimed by banned militant outfits targeting people belonging to Shia sect of Islam.

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