On Monday, a suicide bomber attacked a Shia procession commemorating Ashura in Karachi, killing at least 25 people and injuring 50. Today’s incident on MA Jinnah Road was the latest in a string of violence in Pakistan this past weekend. Following the assassination of mid-level political administrator Sarfaraz Khan and his family in the Kurram tribal area Sunday, a suicide bomber killed at least 10 people and wounded more than 80 during a Shia religious procession in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir. According to the Guardian, this attack “shook the authorities as the city and region has a much better record of Shia-Sunni relations during Muharram than most other parts of Pakistan.”
On Sunday, more than a dozen people were wounded in an incident in Karachi. Although the bombing was later attributed “to a build-up of gas in faulty sewage pipes,” extra paramilitary troops had reportedly been mobilized in Karachi and the rest of the country had been put on “red alert” prior to Muharram (in Lahore, all entry and exit points to Shia processions for Ashura were sealed and all participants had to reportedly queue for scanners). Despite the heightened security and “stringent” measures, a bomber walking amid the procession managed to blow himself up during the climax of Muharram, when worshipers were commemorating the death of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson.
The anger and fear following Monday’s attack in Karachi was palpable, manifested by people in the crowd firing shots into the air and others pelting police and medical teams with stones. According to Al Jazeera, “Local television stations reported that more than a dozen vehicles and a four-story building were also set ablaze by people reacting to the attack.” Talat Hussain from AAJ Television told the news agency, “People have been saying that the government has been apathetic to the listening to the warnings of potential attacks and people’s fears.”
Numerous political officials condemned the bombing Monday and appealed for calm. Karachi’s mayor Mustafa Kamal asserted, “I want to appeal to the people, to my brothers, my elders to stay calm. I am hearing people are clashing with police and doctors. Please do not do that. That is what terrorists are aiming at. They want to see this city again on fire.” MQM leader Altaf Hussain, speaking to GEO News, echoed this appeal but added that he had been “repeatedly warning the citizens of Karachi and Pakistan” about the threat of Talibanization. “The authorities,” he noted, “did not pay heed to my warnings.”
Interior Minister Rehman Malik showed off his business euphemisms Monday when he appealed to Shias to cancel their next two days of processions, adding, “This pattern shows that this was a joint venture between Tehreek-i-Taliban and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ).” This recognition of a connection between the “Pakistani Taliban” and the militant groups in Punjab is significant, particularly since groups like the LeJ and Sipah-e-Sahba are sectarian (anti-Shia) in essence.
In the April issue of the CTC Sentinel, Hassan Abbas wrote that the LeJ is believed to be “the lynch pin of the alignment between Al Qaeda, the Pakistani Taliban and sectarian groups.” In the Long War Journal‘s coverage of Monday’s Karachi bombing, Bill Roggio noted the LeJ has a strong presence in South Waziristan, “where it formed alliances with the Taliban, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Al Qaeda, and created a group called the Fedayeen-e-Islam,” which claimed responsibility for several attacks, including September 2008 attack on Islamabad’s Marriott Hotel and the March 2009 storming of the Lahore police station. In the wake of the military’s operation in South Waziristan, the LeJ and militants part of the TTP network reportedly shifted fighters to Karachi. Roggio noted, “Last week, Karachi police told the Daily Times that they had intelligence that indicated Lashkar-e-Jhangvi would strike at the Shia in Karachi.”
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time and again our government is proving it self incapable of doing things and than raising a hollow slogan that democracy is the greatest revenge. its time to perform rather than making a drama type speeches. the unity will only come when the government shows some serous direction and it self start to move to the real goal rather than asking us to keep the air peaceful.
and now the country burns from the north to the south
and
we the people are knowingly or inadvertently dancing to the tunes of the deluded taliban inc. pipers
The saddest part about this is that ashura is a day of mourning for all Muslim where we as Muslims (of any and all sects) are supposed to reflect on the fact that the battle of Karbala was a war between Muslims, where we killed each other. And centuries later it seems even more evident that we haven’t learned a thing.
This incident is more than about Pakistan, it’s more than about Shia Sunni, this is about us as a civilization. A very sad day indeed.
Muslims,Muslims,Muslims.. Cant you think beyond the Religion?
Muslims should not do this to other Muslims,Muslims should not do that to other Muslims….. Why cant you just say Human Beings should not do this to other Human Beings? Sick..
@ Kalsoom, I am not a sycophant of Pres. Zardari, however I take issue with your statement that ‘democracy’ seems to be the least of our worries. Why do we give up on consensual politics every time a crisis faces us? It is the very lack of democratic traditions has given space to extremists; it will be the inherent vitality of democracy that will be the alternative vision that defeats terror in the battle of ideas. Let’s work to strengthen all the anti-terror blocks in the country (including the Presidency) and raise the din against extremist versions of Islam and the fascist political forces behind them. The immense sacrifices and tragedies of countless innocent Pakistanis demands that we remain coherent against these barbarians.
Tilsim,
I think you make a solid point, but I think it’s necessary to qualify what “democracy” means in the statement, “Democracy is the best revenge.” In Zardari’s op-ed, democracy seems to mean the electoral victory of the PPP in 2008. In his opinion, elections were the end. In my opinion, democracy means building the institutions necessary to promote free ideas, accountability, rule of law etc. In a democracy, citizens elect leaders who will in turn ensure their safety. Therefore, elections are the means to that end, not THE end. His statement is therefore hollow because it throws a term that means much much more than that.
Democracy should be about institution-building, it should be about improving governance, and holding our leaders accountable. As such, you’re right, “democracy” should be an intended goal but it is only the revenge when the term in its truest form is used to reform our system, to restore security, and to strengthen the rule of law.
It is not a term to throw around to push party rhetoric, and that is what I took issue with, not democracy itself.
Karachi shame !
other parts of our country has been targets of these killing monsters but none of those places, people burnt and destroyed public and private properties except in Karachi.
Some time I think we as a nation probably deserve this !
We are hearing as usual these inept and corrupt officials condemning these act of terrorism while Zardari is busy trying to save his behind. God help us. What practical steps have they taken to guard the poor people?
Nowhere except Karachi……Conflicts have so many faceds….Sectaran, ethnic and so on……..
Torching everything in protests is understandably the sole characteristic of Karachi
Yesterday incident is a reminder of the evils that our society faces, however the events that unfolded after the tragic blast are more worrying. Karachi has been witnessing a period of relative calm however such incidents are a common occurrence in Punjab and N.W.F.P but what is glaring in Karachi is the mob mentality which engulfs the city. The law enforcement agencies should not be a silent spectator to this as its lead to further chaos
I agree – here’s a follow-up piece today in Dawn, Ammar: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/metropolitan/04-karachi-shuts-down-qs-05
I feel terrible for the families whose shops were torched in the aftermath, and whose livelihoods were destroyed. While I can understand the emotion after a bombing like this, I think the reactions were, as Ammar said, exemplary of mob mentality and kind of an example of vigilante justice. A friend of mine who’s a journalist in Karachi told me about how he almost got pelted with stones. It seems that when emotion is involved, all rationale goes out the window.
Kalsoom
I am genuinely beginning to believe in a deliberate security lapse. From Marriott bombings, attack on Sri Lankan team to this truly unfortunate incident, its tough to digest numerous security breaches mainly due to negligence. I should be the last person to advocate a conspiracy theory as I strictly dismiss them but a close inspection of these bombings does provide a disturbing scenario. An insider or bunch of insiders/sympathizers/powerful men with decades old links (all based on assumptions) may have been facilitating them. Now facilitation is not exactly your standard lets-sit-plan-destroy-together methodology. It’s a more subtle type of guidance in terms of helping terrorists, their coordinators, explaining them the entire security plan in advance and possible way of breaching it or sometimes deliberately keeping a lapse and letting them through it. I am just trying to analyse logically everything and lot of things don’t make sense.
In short, we may have inside men, could be the agency men, men inside interior ministry, police, rangers, senior civil servants, politicians having strong with establishment but whoever they are, they are probably very very highly placed and may not ever get exposed.
Tell me if my comment makes any sense
pfff i cannot think about this.. i hope the goverments will do the best since they should be the proffesionals..
@ Kalsoom
Thanks for clarifying. I did n’t read it the way that you intended. PPP rhetoric aside, I think we agree that democratic values are the best answer to extremism. Of course Al Qaeda inc will tell you that democracy and Islam are incompatible which is just self serving rhetoric but unfortunately carries resonance with the gullible.
Life became a cheap commodity, no one cares for;
Streets filed with bodies in pieces, no one cares for.
Shops burned, peoples livelihood destroyed, no one cares for.
People parading in rituals with masks, no one cares for;
Worship of idols, acts of pagans, no one cares for.
Kalsoom,
//With the country burning, corruption endemic, food prices high, and governance weak, “democracy” seems to be the least of our worries.//
Your last line depicts the situation perfectly. It is least of our worries.
@Kalsoom emotional outbursts are understandable in reaction to such a calamity but what is the logic of burning your own cities, who will cover these losses? The state is already overburdened with expenses. Such riots and vandalism do not reflect the emotions of people they are indicative of state of lawlessness! Why does such vandalism happen in Karachi only whereas the whole country witness acts of terror??
Karachi BLAST — BOMBING & LOOTING
Everyone is doing politics on the blood & money of innocent plp.
Political parties are highly involved.
Why a re-known minister belongs to a re-known political party (who own 150 shops at bolton market) sold all of his shop just a month before..
Has he been alarmed, just a month back, however these shops were 40 years old.
Politics is highly involved.
Just watch a video after the blast..
Those who lost lives, cannot be recovered, this lost cannot be filled, its really tragic for their family for whole life, but those whose shops has been burnt, must be recovered. and Govt should help them all.
These businessman were getting threatened from last 2 years to shift the shop. They don’t know that in this manner it will be done.
Allah bless us all.
Eye openers are.
Questiona are,
1.who were those people from inside or outside the procession having plenty of chemicals enough for burning full markets?
2.When after the blast in procession all institutes,industries,offices and all other activities were off,then who printed those “banners and pamphlets” in such a big no. that only in one night they were not only printed but were also distributed and pasted on almost every chowk of the city claiming that this activity is done by “Taliban”?
3.When closed circuit cameras were specially arranged to strictly monitor the procession, then why they were turned off when they were most needed?
4.Why didn’t Police take any action when they were called for help by poor shopkeepers whose all life-saving was being burnt by terrorists?
5.Who were those armed persons at fire brigade offices, who forced shopkeepers to run away from the office without even registering a fire-complain?
6.Why fire-brigade sent help after three hours of fire?
7.Why a re-known minister belongs to a re-known political party (who own 150 shops at bolton market) sold all of his shop just a month before..
Of course this was preplanned thing which no one can deny but our great Rehman Malik calling it a suicide bomber attack without even doing full investigation is just awesome!
When i heard that the people over there have started to ablaze the nearby shops, i simply lost my mind… I could not, i repeat COULD NOT explain their behavior as to why would they put fire to the shops.
Later when my senses kicked in, i realized that it couldn’t have been the participants of that processions. Why would they be carrying kerosene and stuff..
I read this other blog somewhere which had some really interesting points being raised by the author and readers.. Do read and comment of what you think of them.
http://yello.pk/blog/fazarcane/the-day-karachi-lost-its-mind/8587
Excellent observation published at London Post & an excellent video proof by Samaa TV.
You cannot ignore these facts easily.
http://thelondonpost.net/SQ31dec09.html
It was really interesting to go through the posts on this site (I checked till September 2009). The only bombings that got dedicated postings were in non-pashtun areas. The 45 dead of Karachi are a source of mourning, but the 100 dead of Lakki Marwat can be shurgged away as the usual.
This apathy is reflective of the main stream media as well, and I dont know what the reason behind this attitude is.
how is the death Pakistani Pashtuns not a “pertinent” issue?
Can anyone help me out?
Regardless that we try to find sectarian, ethnic or otherwise political explanation to this & others disasters (12 May, 27 Dec etc) certainly caused due to total abandoning of innocent Karachi by the security agencies. At each of these occasion fate of the city was left to the organized mob to kill, to loot and destroy.
* Why in the presence of Gigabytes of clear video footage of Muharram 10 vandalism there were no visible security personnel and that none of the 100s of organized phosphors, gas cutters-carrying monsters identified and brought to justice.
* Is the responsiblity of 95% of security vehicles & personnel only to escort and protect 0.1% VVIPs and their associates.
Fact is clear only the innocent people pay with their blood, property and livelihood and so-called investigation will only rot in dust.
While it is impractical to believe that every single terrorist will be hunted down so perhaps it is not possible to eradicate terrorism but it can be restricted and curtailed, apart from this being a watchful citizen would help in apprehending such elements