Sindh government hands over Sehwan attack case to ATC

Provincial government decided to transfer the case of Sehwan attack to the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC).

During the hearing on Wednesday, the investigation officer requested the court to stop case proceedings since the provincial government has decided to approach a military court for a rapid inquiry. The court has ordered IG Sindh, DG Rangers and Interior Ministry to advise on the matter.



The shrine in Sehwan, which is the resting place of the Sufi mystic and revered religious elder Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, was attacked last year in February.

At least 85 people were killed and more than 300 others injured when a suicide bomber launched a grenade before blowing himself up at the shrine on February 16 last year. The police suspected that a man named Nadir Ali Jaghrani, who belongs to a banned outfit may have facilitated the blast.



The much-loved shrine, located in Sehwan Sharif, attracts up to one million visitors annually. The bombing claimed by Da’ish at the centuries-old shrine was an attempt by militants to silence moderate and tolerant voices and to instill fear.

The explosion hit as Sufi Muslims were gathering to perform the dhamaal-a practice of whirling performed by devotees to honour sufi saints in a state of elation in response to music. Sufis are regarded as heretics by hardline Wahabi and Salafist fundamentalist groups, including the Islamic State, Taliban and al Qaeda.