Resolve to speed up operation against militancy reaffirmed
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SEHWAN / NAWABSHAH: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the military and security leadership on Friday put their heads together to plug holes in the state’s strategy against terrorism being exploited by militants with impunity for the past few days.
The top-level meeting in Sehwan was held in the wake of Thursday’s suicide bombing at the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in which 88 people were killed and 340 others injured.
A general strike was observed in Sehwan and other towns in Sindh to mourn and protest the tragic incident.
Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Governor Mohammad Zubair, National Security Adviser retired Lt Gen Nasser Janjua, IGP Sindh A.D. Khowaja and several other federal and provincial ministers and officials attended the meeting.
It was decided that militants would be shot on sight and security at all shrines in the country would be tightened. The operation against militants would be speeded up. All efforts would be made to eradicate terrorist elements and strict action would be taken against their facilitators.
PM, COAS reach Sehwan; footage of suicide attacker obtained
The prime minister and the army chief visited the taluka hospital and inquired about the injured.
Earlier, Prime Minster Sharif, Gen Bajwa, Chief Minister Shah, Nasser Janjua and others visited the blast victims under treatment at the Peoples University Medical Hospital, Nawabshah.
Rallies, strike
Various political parties and social organisations held rallies in Sehwan town, on Dadu-Sehwan Indus Highway and in front of the press club. They demanded immediate arrest of the militants involved in the attack on the Qalandar shrine.
At least 12 protesters suffered injuries when police resorted to firing into the air and baton-charge after the former refused to open the Indus Highway and torched a police van.
Later, the protesters cleared the road and marched towards the town where the situation remained tense.
The Qalandar shrine was sealed after the suicide attack, but a large crowd broke security cordons to enter the premises. However, Rangers and police controlled the situation.
Talking to Dawn, the caretaker of the shrine, Syed Wali Mohammad Shah Lakyari, held inadequate security arrangement responsible for the incident. He said that calls for deployment of security personnel along with equipment were never heeded.
A shutter-down strike was also observed in Dadu city while Khairpur Nathan Shah, Mehar, Radhan, Johi, Piaro Goth, Bhan Syedabad, Sann and Manjhand towns also remained closed and rallies were taken out there. Protests were also held in Kotri, Nooriabad and Jamshoro.
Shrines sealed
Various shrines in Dadu and Jamshoro districts, including Shah Godrio, Bali Shah, Saeedi Mosani, Makhdoom Bilawal, Mast Keehar Shah, Nago Sain, Shah Bukhari, Laky Shah Sadar and Nathan Shah, were also sealed from security point of view.
The IGP told reporters in Sehwan that security had been beefed up at shrines, Imambargahs and mosques across the province. He said there was no prior information about Thursday’s suicide blast, though there were general threats of terrorism in the country.
CM Shah visited the injured at the Sehwan hospital and held back-to-back meetings with police and administration officials on the law and order situation.
Talking to journalists, Mr Shah pledged that all “nurseries of terrorists” would be eradicated. He said the suicide attack on the shrine was in fact an attack on the sovereignty of the country. He revealed that some suspects had been taken into custody.
Investigation
A team of the Counter Terrorism Department led by SSP Khitab collected evidence at the site, such as chemicals, ball bearings and explosives.
They also obtained recording and footage of CCTV cameras installed at the shrine, including that of the suspected bomber entering the women’s section wearing an abaya.
DIG Hyderabad Range Khadim Hussain Rind told Dawn News TV channel that the bomb used contained 8kgs of high-intensity explosive material laced with ball bearings.
According to the in-charge of Edhi Centre Sehwan Sharif, Nissar Ahmed, five unidentified bodies were kept at the Sehwan taluka hospital.
He said that 67 bodies had been handed over to their families, adding that those with minor injuries had been discharged after treatment at hospitals in Dadu, Larkana, Nawabshah, Hyderabad and Karachi.
Sehwan taluka hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Moenuddin Siddiqui said that the list of the deceased was displayed at the hospital.
Meanwhile, Peeral Mallah, a resident of village Kirar Mallah of taluka Johi, complained that his 28-year-old sister Azeeman, wife of Mohammad Salih, and her 10-year-old son, Sajan, were missing. He said they were at the shrine when the blast ripped through the place.
Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2017
