Death toll from Lahore attacks rises to 35

LAHORE: The death toll from the string of attacks on a religious procession in Lahore rose to 35 on Thursday morning.

Updated from print edition (below)

String of attacks kill 28 in Lahore

A string of blasts targeting a religious procession in Lahore has killed at least 28 people, with more than 150 injured. The outlawed militant group, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi al-Alami, claimed responsibility for the attacks targeting a procession marking the martyrdom anniversary of the fourth caliph, Hazrat Ali (RA) on Wednesday.

It was the first major attack in Pakistan since the devastating floods engulfed a fifth of the country over the past month.

The synchronised blasts, taking place within 30 minutes of each other, ripped through the procession at Iftar time, and led to an outpouring of fury as mourners tried to torch the nearby Lower Mall police station. Police officials escorting the procession quickly disappeared to escape the wrath of the mourners. Charged protesters also torched three vehicles and one motorcycle parked nearby. After some time, police returned to the scene to quell the rioting. They fired tear gas shells to force back the surging crowd and restore order. Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan defended the police action against protesters.

Later, paramilitary Rangers were also called in to bring the situation under control. Lahore Commissioner Khusro Pervaiz said the first blast was caused by a cracker which was followed by two suicide bombings. He said the police were trying to secure other areas, as the mourners were scattered throughout the Karbala Gamey Shah area, where the traditional mourning procession ends.

“The first blast took place immediately after the mourning procession ended at Karbala Gamey Shah and at around 6:45pm,” an eyewitness told The Express Tribune. The blast was caused by a firecracker, creating panic among the mourners,” he added. It was followed by two suicide attacks near Bhati Gate and Anarkali.

“The procession had just ended when I heard three deafening explosions after brief intervals,” Shahid Hussain, a mourner, said with tears rolling down his cheeks.

Rescuers said the second blast was more deadly which killed 13 people and injured at least 140 people, 20 of them critically. Two mourners were killed in the first attack, they added.

The third attack occurred near Anarkali, around 250 yards away from Karbala Gamey Shah. Eyewitnesses said a man, clad in shalwar-kameez, detonated the explosives strapped to his body when he was stopped near the Anarkali gate by police for body search.

Human limbs were scattered all around and blood splattered all over as injured mourners cried for help.

Edhi sources said they shifted around 150 casualties to Mayo, Gangaram and Services hospitals. According to medics around 12 people died in Mayo hospital, six in Services hospital and four in Gangaram hospital.

Commissioner Pervaiz admitted slackness on the part of police, saying that they should have been more vigilant.

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani condemned the attacks and described them as “cowardly acts of terrorism”.  “Those elements playing with the lives of innocent people would not escape the law of the land,” an official statement quoted him as saying in Islamabad.

Earlier in the day, unidentified gunmen attacked a similar mourning procession in Karachi. Fortunately, there were no fatalities, but five mourners sustained bullet wounds in the incident.  The incident took place when the procession was passing by Empress Market and Jehangir Park. Mourners claimed that it was an ambush but the police said they were investigating the incident. At least 20 suspects have also been picked up for questioning.

According to AFP, sectarian violence has killed more than 4,000 people in Pakistan in the past decade and it is not the first time Lahore has seen bombers target religious groups.

In July, twin suicide attacks on the shrine of Sufi saint Data Ganj Bakhsh in Lahore killed 43 people. In May, gunmen wearing suicide vests stormed two worship places of the Ahmadiya community in Lahore, killing at least 82 people. (With additional input from AFP)

Published in The Express Tribune, September 2^nd, 2010.