KARACHI: Three persons were injured in a cracker attack on an Imambargah in North Nazimabad just a day after a man towing away Zuljanah with his motorbike was killed in a sectarian attack in Azizabad, police said.

According to the Hyderi Market police and Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM), the attackers riding a motorcycle threw a cracker at the Imambargah Hussainia Sajjadia on Monday evening when people were paying respect to an Alam. The blast left Zain, 17, Mujahid Hussain, 22, and Aziz Rehman, 40, wounded. The three victims were rushed to hospitals, the police said, adding that the condition of Zain was stated to be serious.

The attack was carried out during a majlis being held for women inside the Imambargah, said a spokesperson for the MWM.

Before this incident, a 45-year-old man pulling along Zuljanah with his motorbike was shot dead in a sectarian attack on the main road in Azizabad late Sunday night, according to the area police.

The Azizabad police said that a passerby, Rahim, was wounded in the attack, while a spokesperson for the MWM said at least two persons were wounded in the sectarian attack.

Ali Haider, 45, was towing away Zuljanah with his motorbike in Gulshan-i-Shamim when armed pillion riders attacked him, said Azizabad SHO Jamal Leghari.

He said bullets also hit a man passing by the area in a rickshaw, Rahim, who along with Ali Haider were shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

Doctors declared Ali Haider dead on arrival, the SHO said.

He added that no other person was wounded in the attack.

However, the MWM spokesperson said two persons, Kamran and Zulfiqar, were also wounded in the attack. He said Ali Haider was targeted because he was an Azadar (a mourner). The targeted killings of Shia community members reflected the performance of the Sindh government and law enforcement agencies, he said. He also referred to the recent killing of Hasnain in Liaquatabad and demanded action against banned militant outfits.

“The killing of two Shia community members recently and the Monday evening attack on Imambargah demonstrated inefficiency of security institutions,” said the MWM spokesperson. He was of the opinion that there was a rise in number of attacks at a time when local government polls were near.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2015