ISLAMABAD, Aug 17: As many as 30 civil society activists gathered outside National Press Club on Friday to protest against brutal act of killing of 22 innocent people in Naran in sectarian attack.

Protesters said that the alarming rise in the trend of sectarianism in general and targeted violence against Shia community in Gilgit Baltistan and Balochistan in particular is matter of concern for all conscientious Pakistanis.

During the protest a teenaged girl fell unconscious because of extreme heat and dehydration, and was immediately shifted to hospital.

Civil society activist Farzana Bari said that all the citizens should get equal status but here people are being killed because they belonged to a religious sect. Name of religion is being used for terrorism.

“Religious parties and those who take votes by using the names of different religious sects should be banned in the country. Some elements are dividing people to start civil war in the country,” she said.

Representative of traders’ community, Jahangir Akhter said that Islam did not permit any Muslim to kill other. Naran incident was against the Islam and condemnable.

Religious scholar, Mustafa Kamal who had come from Gilgit Baltistan (GB) said that it was third incident in which people were killed in GB.

“So far 100 persons have been killed in sectarian violence in different areas of GB. The culprits identify Shias through identity cards and marks of flagellation and then kill them,” he said.

Human Rights Activist, Samina Nazir said that political parties had been protesting for Afia Sidique but they did not speak a single word on this incident.

They said that it was heart breaking that just before Eid, the bereaved families had to face the tragic death of their loved ones.