SHIKARPUR: Soyem for the victims of the Shikharpur Imambargah bombing was held at the central Imambargah here on Sunday amid calls from religious and political forces for crushing terrorism, militancy and sectarianism with an iron hand as protest rallies and demonstrations continuing across the country.

Tehreek-i-Jafaria Pakistan (TJP) chief Allama Syed Sajid Ali Naqvi, several of his party colleagues, and leaders and activists of various political parties, nationalist groups and Shia organisations attended the Soyem.

Speaking to the media, Allama Naqvi described the terrorist attack as a ‘preplanned episode’ carried out by a network of terrorism to spread sectarian disharmony not only in Shikarpur but across Sindh.

He said it was a big question mark that the terrorists managed to execute their nefarious designs by reaching this city despite presence of 33 agencies keeping a close eye on terrorists in the country. “The latest attack is the test case for the national security plan evolved by the federal government in coordination with the armed forces,” he said.

Demanding immediate arrest of those behind one of the worst-ever carnages in the country, the TJP leader said a protest movement would be launched if the actual culprits and their associates were not arrested with out any delay. He reaffirmed his party’s strong belief in Shia-Sunni harmony and said such incident must not foment sectarian unrest.

Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz(JSQM) vice chairman Dr Niaz Kalani sectarian violence was being resorted to by anti-Sindh elements as the soil of Sufis had always remained a peaceful region for followers of all religions and sects.

He announced a day of protest on Wednesday against the tragedy, and said JSQM activists and supporters would wear yellow shirts on that day in a symbolic expression of solidarity with the affected families.Sindh Taraqqi-Pasand Party (STP) chief Dr Qadir Mangsi warned the government that if it failed to ensure safety and security of citizens, people would be encouraged to protect themselves on a self-help basis.

Former MNA Dr Ibrahim Jatoi, PML-F leader Imtiaz Shaikh and PML-Q leader Haleem Adil Sheikh were among the others who spoke to the media and demanded a decisive action against terrorist forces.

Protests by Shia organisations and political parties over the deadly Friday attack on an Imambargah in Shikarpur continued in Larkana and Hyderabad on Sunday.

Protesters belonging to Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen, led by Allama Riaz Hussain al-Hussaini and Qamar Abbas Naqvi, chanted slogans against terrorism and demanded arrest of the attackers, and staged a sit-in. They gathered outside the main gate of Jinnahbagh in Larkana where a Quran Khwani and prayers were held for the dead. They were later joined by political, religious and civil society organisations such as the Shia Ulema Council, a group of high court lawyers, Hindu Panchayat Committee-Larkana, Awami Tehreek and Jeay Sindh Mahaz.

The Shia leaders in their address to the gathering were critical about the poor performance of the government. They said security lapses had led to the brutal incident in which the militants had targeted an Imambargah. They called for beefing up security measures at sensitive points including religious places.

The workers of PPP-Shaheed Bhutto (PPP-SB) held a condolence meeting at Al-Murtaza House and offered fateha for the killed. Ghulam Haidar Narejo, district president of PPP-SB Larkana, said: “The Shikarpur incident shows the utter failure of the Sindh government. The attackers should be arrested as early as possible.”

In Hyderabad, Mukhtiar Abbasi of the Awami Jamhoori Party and residents of Tando Mir Mehmood and Tando Agha took out separate protest processions over the Shikarpur Imambargah attack on Sunday outside the local press club. Maulana Azam Mohammad Qambrani of the Shia Ulema Council took out a protest rally near Majee Hospital.

They demanded a Zarb-e-Azb kind of operation across Sindh and Balochistan so that terrorists could be eliminated. They also pleaded for immediate arrests of killers and meting out exemplary punishment so that no such incident is repeated in the future. They slammed the mushrooming of unregistered seminaries in small villages in Sindh and proposed carrying out crackdown against them.

Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah said that no stone would be left unturned to find the culprits responsible for the attack on an Imambargah in Shikarpur. Presiding over a meeting, regarding the law and order situation at the office of the deputy commissioner Shikarpur on late Saturday night, the chief minister said places where there is potential threat security measures would be taken, according to a press release issued by the information department. He asked the district administration to review security plans especially for schools, offices and public places. SSP Shikarpur Saqib Memon briefed the meeting about the investigations of the incident. Others who were present in the meeting included NA opposition leader Khursheed Shah, Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani, Sindh Minister for Works & Services Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, Sindh Minister for Health Jam Mehtab Dahar, MNA Aftab Shahban Mirani and PPP Leader Agha Taimoor Khan.

Police training

The district administration has outlined a plan to train additional municipal staff and deploying them at the Imambarghas, mosques and other sensitive places. Talking to journalists, after presiding over a meeting with the municipal staff, the Deputy Commissioner Larkana Javed Ali Jagirani said the extra staff recruited would be imparted police training and posted at vital points.

He said some of the trained personnel would also be included in an anti-encroachment force. The extra employees would also be trained in manning the traffic in Larkana city, where a traffic mess had created a menace, he said. The deputy commissioner told the meeting that he would contact the DIG and SSP Larkana in this regard so as to expedite the training process for early assigning of duties to the municipal staff.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2015

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