MWM’s strike today against Shikarpur attack

Karachi
The Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen, a representative body of the Shia community, announced on Friday that it would observe a strike on Saturday (today) in protest against the bomb attack on an imambargah in Shikarpur earlier in the day and to mourn the death of over 60 people in the incident.
The MWM has also announced a three-day mourning period for the victims.
The attack occurred during Friday prayers at the Karbala Moalla Imambargah in Lakhi Dar town, Shikarpur. “Terrorists feel free to attack the Shia community whenever they want because the federal and provincial governments have been taking no action against them,” said MWM chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas Jafari.
“In the case of Sindh, the Pakistan People’s Party government is responsible for the massacre in Shikarpur,” he added. “Takfiri terrorists have held the Sindh province hostage.”
Jafari expressed his sympathies towards the families of the victims. “The MWM will stand by them and not leave them alone.”
Allama Amin Shaheedi, the MWM deputy general secretary, also criticised the provincial government for its failure in preventing the attack.

Protest rally
The MWM also staged a protest rally at Purani Numaish. It was led by MWM general secretary Allama Mukhtar Imami.
Speaking at the sit-in, Imami criticised the government and law-enforcement agencies for their inattention towards the massacre of Shia Muslims. He also lamented that a large number of deaths could have been avoided if the blast victims were provided treatment in time.
Meanwhile, similar protests also erupted in other cities and towns of the province leading to closure of shops in Tando Mohammad Khan, Matli, Badin, Tando Bago, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Kotri and Kashmore.
MWM spokesperson Ali Ahmer told The News the party would appeal to traders and transporters to support their strike call by keeping their businesses closed and vehicles off the roads on Saturday.
The All Pakistan Shia Action Committee, another body representing the community, also announced a three-day mourning period. Its office-bearer Mirza Yousuf Hussain said the organisation would stage protests in several areas of Karachi.
Another Shia body, the Shia Ulema Council, also announced a three-day mourning period. Its chief, Nasir Abbas Taqvi, said different Shia bodies were holding meetings to chalk out their future course of action.

Parties express solidarity
Almost all political parties voiced their support for the mourning call of the MWM.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain condemned the blast and directed his party workers and activists across the country to express solidarity by wearing black armbands and flying black flags at MQM offices across the country.
“Why did the government fail to take action when it had received threats from extremists warning of possible attacks?” he asked.
Prime Minister’s adviser on Sindh affairs and leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Functional, Imtiaz Shaikh, also expressed deep concern over the deteriorating law and order situation and extended his support for the call for mourning.
The chief of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement Afaq Ahmed also expressed sympathy with the victims’ families and demanded from the government to chalk out a well-devised plan for combating terrorism in the country.
He said the National Action Plan was formulated after Peshawar carnage, but its results were not visible because Sindh still faced a number of threats.
Qaumi Awami Tehreek chief Ayaz Latif Palejo stated that the killings of MQM activists and the suicide attack in Shikarpur were all attempts to sabotage the National Action Plan and the called on the government to look for whoever was behind this conspiracy.

‘Attempt to incite violence’
Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman condemned the attack and described it as an attempt to incite sectarian violence in the province. “It is the responsibility of the government to provide security to the citizens and no doubt this is a security lapse,” he added.
Pakistan Muslim League-Functional MPA Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh, Sindh chief minister’s adviser Waqar Mehdi, MQM leader Waseem Akhtar and Sunni Terheek chief Sarwat Ejaz Qadri also condemned the attack.
Call for support also came from the presidents of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid and Awami National Party in Sindh, Haleem Adil Shaikh and Shahi Syed, respectively.
Sunni Ittehad Council, Pakistan Awami Tehreek, traders and transporters also expressed their solidarity.

Qaim vows justice
Announcing a day of province-wide mourning, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah said all law enforcement agencies had been ordered to work on identifying and arresting the perpetrators at the earliest. “This was nothing but a cowardly attack on innocent citizens. Nearly 50 of our people have been killed and 60 more injured and we will not rest until the culprits are brought to justice,” said the CM.
Along with the day of solidarity, Shah vowed that compensation – Rs500,000 for families of the deceased and Rs100,000 for the injured – would be provided immediately. “This money can never compensate for the loss of human life, but it remains our duty to do all in our power for the victims’ families,” said Shah.
The cost of treatment of the injured admitted at public hospitals, he clarified, would be borne by the government. Shah said the provincial health minister was working to arrange all supplies and resources needed, as well as transportation of the seriously injured to Sukkur, Larkana and even Karachi.
He reiterated that, rather than denting law enforcers’ morale, such attacks served to strengthen their resolve to eliminate terrorists. “Our forces are determined to eradicate terrorism once and for all. We are strictly implementing orders for a targeted operation and the National Action Plan (NAP) remains a primary focus,” said Shah.
The CM said all LEAs had been told to increase vigilance at all entry and exit points of Sindh. “Our security measures have brought about a change in terrorists’ strategies; from major cities such as Karachi, they are now targeting areas in interior Sindh,” he said.
Directing the Sindh IGP to investigate the attack and submit a report at the earliest, he also called for special attention towards rooting out seminaries serving as a breeding ground for extremists.
The CM urged Pakistan People’s Party leaders to reach out to the victims and their families, stating that the Sindh government would never abandon them in their time of need.
He expressed disappointment over what he termed “misleading statements” by certain political opponents, and said it was unfortunate to see people trying to exploit such a tragedy for political mileage. “Rather than criticising each other, we all need to work together in such trying times,” said Shah.
Medical team
A team of 22 doctors and surgeons has been sent to Shikarpur by the Sindh Health Department for assistance in medical treatment of Friday’s bombing victims, according to an official handout.
Blood bags and ambulances were also dispatched with the team, which includes doctors and surgeons from adjoining districts of Shikarpur. Similarly, blood bags have also been arranged and sent to Larkana and Sukkur, where many of the victims remain under treatment.
The notification informed that the district health officer and medical superintendent of the District Headquarters Hospital have been instructed to remain on-duty for 24 hours.
It further said that 33 dead bodies had been brought to DHQ, while 43 victims were shifted to Larkana and seven patients were under treatment at Civil Hospital Shikarpur.