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Thursday March 28, 2024

Arms licences to protect Shia seminaries, mosques

KarachiThe Sindh government will issue weapon licences to all seminaries, mosques and imambargahs belonging to the Shia sect, the chief minister announced on Thursday.Issuance of arms licences was one of the 25 demands put forth by the protesting families of the Shikarpur blast victims.The demonstrators ended their sit-in protest after

By our correspondents
February 20, 2015
Karachi
The Sindh government will issue weapon licences to all seminaries, mosques and imambargahs belonging to the Shia sect, the chief minister announced on Thursday.
Issuance of arms licences was one of the 25 demands put forth by the protesting families of the Shikarpur blast victims.
The demonstrators ended their sit-in protest after the provincial government agreed to accept their charter of demands.
Sixty-four people were killed when terrorists attacked a mosque in Shikarpur during the Friday prayer on January 30.
Addressing a joint press conference with Shikarpur Shuhada (Martyrs) Committee chief Allama Maqsood Domki, CM Qaim Ali Shah announced that the government would refer the case to a military court, adding that a joint investigation team (JIT) would be formed to probe the incident.
“An operation under the supervision of the apex committee will be conducted by police and Rangers against banned organisations as well as other extremist elements that are inciting terrorism in Shikarpur and others districts,” said Shah.
The press conference was held after a meeting between the committee and the government at the CM House.
Flanked by Local Government and Information Minister Sharjeel Memon, members of the committee and Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen leader Ali Hussain, CM Shah said the names of the suspects revealed by the committee would also be added to the first information report, adding that an inquiry update of the JIT would be shared with them.
During the press conference, Allama Domki diverted the CM’s attention towards encroachment by some extremist groups on government properties.
He said the groups were creating anarchy in the name of religious activities. Shah announced that the government would initiate a crackdown against the groups and reclaim the illegally occupied properties.
“Some banned outfits have also started their activities in Sindh,” he said. “They are involved in target killings and other criminal activities.”
The CM said the government had decided to begin a crackdown against them along with removing their banners, posters, flags and wall chalking.
The meeting also decided to name one of the roundabouts in Shikarpur as ‘Shuhada-e-Karbala’.
Another demand put forth by the protesters was to ban the Wisal TV channel for “spreading hatred against the Shia community”.
The CM assured them that the government would write to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority to lodge a complaint against the channel.
“We have demanded to increase the compensation for those who have lost their family members in terrorist attacks,” said Domki.
The meeting also decided to take action against foreigners, including Chechen, Uzbek, Afghani and Tajik nationals, who were found to be involved in terrorist activities in the province.
“We have also decided to give government jobs to the victims’ families, and the victims who have become disabled would be accommodated in the five-percent quota for the disabled,” said the CM.
The families affected by the carnage at the Shikarpur imambargah had began a long march from Shikarpur to Karachi on February 15.
After announcing that the Shikarpur Shuhada Committee had decided to call off the protests, Domki thanked the people of Sindh for welcoming the heirs and relatives of the Shikarpur blast victims.
He said the government had made sincere efforts for negotiations, especially the CM who, Domki said, had played an important role in this regard.
He hoped strict action would be taken against terrorists.