People gather around one of the blast sites in Parachinar on Friday. PHOTO: EXPRESS
Shia clerics and leaders on Saturday demanded a military operation against the perpetrators of the twin blasts that tore through two busy marketplaces of Parachinar on Friday, killing at least 57 people and injuring more than 150 others.
Addressing a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Imamia Ulema Council President Allama Khurshid Anwar and Majlis-e-Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM) Acting Secretary General Allama Syed Aamir Haider Shamshi strongly condemned the attack and demanded a military operation akin to the one carried out in Swat.
“This (the attacks) must stop. We cannot afford to be pushed against the wall anymore,” warned Khurshid. He demanded the government take effective steps to eliminate terrorism and launch a ‘clean-up’ operation against terrorists across the country. Khurshid also asked authorities to start an air ambulance service to shift the injured victims of Friday’s attack to hospitals in Peshawar.
“Terrorists will not succeed in their nefarious designs and will face defeat,” said Khurshid. He claimed the surge in terror attacks coincided with the newly-elected government’s deliberations of holding talks with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Khurshid maintained constant attacks, particularly against the Shia community, had proved the government’s helplessness in taking action against terrorists who continuously challenge its writ. “Whenever they (terrorists) want, they target innocent people and the government law enforcement agencies have failed to prevent such attacks.”
He said the silence and inaction of the state and its security services emboldens elements of terror, who carry out attacks with impunity. Khurshid also took potshots at the media and claimed the attack in Parachinar was not given proper coverage.
Allama Shamsi vowed to give more sacrifices and claimed such attacks will not deter them. He said Jumatul Wida (the last Friday of Ramazan) will be observed as ‘Al Youm-e-Quds’ and asked the government to provide full protection to Shia processions and places of worship.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 28th, 2013.
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Unfortunately I do not see a Swat like operation being conducted by our state security forces when they've not just only failed to prevent terrorists, but sabotaged past efforts to eradicate militants whom they favoured over the local Pakistani citizens and residents.
Pakistan army blockades anti-Taliban tribe in Kurram http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11625216
The Shiite Community thinks that basically the State is the responsible for these brutally killings as the protection of the citizens is the basic constitutional responsibility of every state and basic right of every citizen irrespective of his/her faith, race, gender and language according to the UNO declared charter of Human Rights. They are still expecting peace, protection and justice from the state and International Community through the democratic ways of protests so they have never targeted any faith group and never challenged the states’ writ in return yet nor any Shiite cleric give any Fatwa against any faith group based on hatred. The Shiite community around the world requests The UNO, International Human Right Organizations, Sovereign States, Media Organization, Peace and Justice Organization to utilize their influence to protect them for the sake of Humanity.