LAHORE: The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has called for a judicial inquiry into the Sunday’s deadly blasts in Karachi that left 45 people dead and over 150 injured.

In a statement issued here on Monday, LCCI President Farooq Iftikhar termed the blasts a cowardly act and an ugly attempt to destabilise the country and portray it as a dangerous place internationally.

“The government will have to revisit and redesign its anti-terrorism policy as the existing methodology has failed to stem the acts of terror in the country,” said the chamber president, urging the government to also convene a roundtable conference inviting all political parties and business community representatives to evolve a consensus policy to cope with law and order related issues.

He said it was strange that despite all efforts, the terrorists were attacking the places of their choice and killing innocent people.

PIAF: The Pakistan Industrial and Traders Association Front (PIAF) has urged the government to restore peace in Karachi, the economic hub of the country.

In a statement on Monday, PIAF chairman Tahir Javed Malik, senior vice-chairman Khamis Saeed Butt and vice-chairman Amjad Ali Jawa said repeated incidents of killings and arson were sending a very wrong signal abroad.

They urged the government to focus on law and order situation as it seemed that anti-Pakistan elements had hatched a conspiracy to tarnish the country’s image. They said business activities were already halted because of energy shortage while acts of terrorism were adding fuel to the fire.

Meanwhile, the Shia community staged a protest rally on Monday from Karbala Gamay Shah to Nasser Bagh to mourn the Sunday’s bomb blasts in Abbas Town (Karachi) that left 48 people dead and more than 100 injured besides causing a massive destruction to residential buildings.

Led by MWM Punjab Secretary-General Allama Abdul Khaliq Asadi and other leaders, the protesters chanted slogans against the authorities concerned for their failure to provide protection to the lives and property of the Shia people.

“It seems that no-one in this country can protect us as continuous incidents of firing and bomb attacks in Balochistan, Karachi and other parts of the country have claimed lives of hundreds of people of the Shia community,” Asadi said while addressing on the occasion.

Carrying placards and banners, the protesters demanded the arrest and punishment of those involved in killing the Shia people across the country.

JAMAAT-I-ISLAMI: Acting High Commissioner of Great Britain Susan Hyland and Deputy Political Consular Jasper Thomson called on Jamaat-i-Islami Secretary-General Liaquat Baloch at his residence on Monday and discussed various issues of mutual interest regarding Pakistan and Afghanistan.