KARACHI, Aug 30: The Jafria Alliance chief and Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s senator, Allama Abbas Kumeli, has deplored the killing of Ayatollah Baqer al Hakim, and called for a three-day national mourning in Pakistan to protest against the imperialist conspiracy to divide and rule Muslims.

Addressing a news conference at the Karachi Press Club on Saturday, Allama Abbas Kumeli termed the attack a great loss to the struggle against imperialists.

Pleading for calm, he said that it was a great setback, as Ayatollah Baqer al Hakim was involved in struggle against Baathist rule and emancipation of Iraqis. Ayatollah Baqer was active against American and British designs and had just returned from Iran, where he had lived in exile for more than two decades, Mr Kumeli added.

He was of the view that killing of the Iraqi Ayatollah was a conspiracy to plunge that country into further chaos and civil war so that America could entrench herself in Iraq.

In Pakistan too, he said that attempts were being made to pit Shia against Sunni and Sunni against Shia. But, he cautioned Muslims of all sects to see trough the game of exploitative and imperialist forces to prevent external forces from occupying them.

Nevertheless, he did not rule out the involvement of Saddam Hussain’s men in the murder. He said that the only way out for the Iraqi people and the Muslims against such conspiracies was to unite.

He was also critical of government’s failure to condemn the murder of Baqer al Hakim and sacrilege of Hazrat Ali’s mausoleum.

He declared that a three-day protest had begun from Saturday and the main congregation in this regard would be held at Shah Khurasan on Sunday after Maghrib prayers.