ISLAMABAD: The civil society on Wednesday gathered outside the National Press Club (NPC) to protest the murder of over 40 people from the Ismaili community in Karachi.

Human rights activist Farzana Bari said extremists had been killing people from the Hazara community and now had turned towards the Ismailis.

“It is our duty to unite and push the state to take action against extremists because today they are targeting Shias and tomorrow they will start killing Sunnis by dividing them into more sects,” she said.

Ms Bari said the state should ensure deweaponisation of the country. Moreover, action must be taken against those who provide resources to the extremists because terrorism has also become an industry,” she said.

“Rather than offering financial compensation for the deceased, the Sindh chief minister should resign,” she said.

Representative of Omar Asghar Khan Foundation Rashida Dohad said the incident was intolerable.

“A number of people, from various walks of life, should have participated in this protest because now the life of every person in this country is at stake” she said.

Awami Workers Party (AWP) leader Asim Sajjad said it was strange that those who created the monster have been assigned to eliminate the monster.

“The curriculum at our educational institutions is also a reason for extremism. We want accountability of those who created the extremists,” he said.

Mr Sajjad said once again, the media would start blaming foreign elements for the incident in Karachi. “We must find those who support these foreign elements from within the country,” he said.

PTI leader Azhar Hunzai said people should unite against terrorism. “The PTI contested elections in Karachi to show that it can take a stand against terrorism. The business community will be forced to leave the country,” he added.

AWP Islamabad-Rawalpindi Secretary Shehak Sattar said only leftist political forces had consistently opposed the military establishment’s use of jihadi organisations as foreign and domestic policy instruments.

“Today the same Mujahideen that waged war in Afghanistan are perpetrating sectarian violence within Pakistan, yet the establishment has not entirely given up on its historic policy. Mainstream political parties still do not have the courage to stand up to the establishment,” he said.

Protesters then marched from the press club to F-6 Markaz.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2015

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