KARACHI, July 4: Until Friday’s Quetta tragedy, at least 34 people had been killed and dozens injured in sectarian clashes and attacks in different parts of the country this year, according to newspaper reports.

The last incident was also reported from Quetta in which 13 police trainees died when their vehicle was ambushed by two gunmen on June 8. Eight trainees were injured.

In Karachi on Feb 22, nine people were gunned down by two motorcyclists at an imambargah in Rafah-i-Aam Society for prayers. Fifteen others were wounded in the attack.

The Karachi police registered 194 cases of sectarian killings between 1994 and October 2002. Out of these, 123 cases were challaned but only four accused were convicted and three were acquitted. Some 116 cases are still reportedly pending adjudication.

On March 2, 15 imambargahs in Peshawar were declared sensitive and a report on June 21 says 29 mosques in Karachi were declared disputed.