Community members protest in Muzzafargarh against murder of Shia scholar

Block roads. Relatives of the deceased scholar said that the police officials were acting irresponsibly in this case.

MUZAFFARGARH: Members of the Shia community protested in various parts of Muzaffargarh on Tuesday against the killing of Shia scholar Allama Hafiz Saqlain Naqvi, who had been attacked by unidentified armed men on February 19.

Allama Naqvi had condemned the arrests of Shia scholars in Muzaffargarh, calling it a discriminatory act, blaming law and order officials of supporting and protecting banned militant religious organisations. Following his outburst, he had been shot at by unknown assailants as he commuted between his house and seminary on February 19.

The scholar, who had been brought in a critical condition, remained in a coma till he passed away on February 27.

Protesters blocked the road in front of the Alipur city police station, burnt tires and demanded an immediate arrest of those involved in the killing. They also accused police authorities of not providing sufficient security to Shia gatherings and their religious scholars.

Some protesters also blocked the National Highway connecting Multan to Karachi.

Relatives of the deceased scholar claimed that police officials were acting irresponsibly in this case.

The protest were however called off after SP Investigation Muzaffargarh Naeem Babar assured them of immediate arrests of those involved.

While speaking to The Express Tribune, President Millat-e-JaffariyaPakistan Allama Sajid Naqvi said that sectarianism was propagated in the region according to a pre-planned scheme.

Complaining on police performance, he said that no police official had been suspended, nor any suspect arrested in relation to the act.

Around 10 cases of attacks on members of the Shia community have been reported over the past year in district Muzaffargarh. Many members of the Shia community are still in detention for retaliating against Malik Ishaq’s arrival in Alipur.