Gunmen kill two in Bahawalpur mosque

A dars was in progress at Al Qamar Mosque, Block-C, Satellite Town after Fajr prayers when the gun men attacked.

BAHAWALPUR: Gunmen stormed a mosque here on Saturday and fired at worshippers, killing two and wounding seven others, police said. A dars was in progress at Al Qamar Mosque, Block-C, Satellite Town, Bahawalpur soon after Fajr prayers today when gunmen opened fire in the mosque.

“Three men armed with pistols entered Al Qamar Mosque and fired at worshippers and as a result of firing two men died while seven others were wounded,” Bahawalpur district police chief Babar Bakht told AFP. According to the details, three masked persons entered the mosque through different entrances and opened fire on people hearing the Dars which injured nine persons who were rushed to Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur by the Rescue 1122.

“Two of the wounded were in a critical condition,” he said, adding that the motive behind the attack was not immediately clear, nor anyone had claimed responsibility. Dr Abu Ammar Aziz of Victoria Hospital in Bahawalpur confirmed that two men with bullet wounds had died and that two seriously wounded men were undergoing surgery.

The gunmen fled after the attack and are still at large. The attack stunned the locals as the mosque was an undisputed place and faithful from all sects would offer prayers there without any reservation.

Traders observed a strike to mark their grief and sorrow over this tragic incident and shut their shops to condemn the incident while locals expressed deep concern and protested by burning tyres, chanting slogans and demonstrations. They demanded the leaders of the country to ensure peace and stability.

Meanwhile, the Jamaat-e-Islami took out a protest rally here to condemn the incident, and to express grief and sorrow over the loss of life and the attack on the sanctity of the mosque. Speakers at the rally criticised the PPP government and alleged that it had failed to control the situation and was just trying to please America for its vested interests. They also suggested that it would be better for the PPP to quit the government in the interest of the country.

Regional Police Officer Syed Abid Qadri said that though several teams have been formed to track down the attackers no arrests have been made as yet. Qadri termed Saturday’s shooting a terrorist activity and made it clear that it was not a case of sectarian violence but merely an attempt to stoke sectarian tensions.

Sectarian violence in Pakistan has killed more than 4,000 people since the year 2000. The residents of the city, particularly of the Satellite Town neighbourhood, have criticised local political leaders for their callousness as not a single representative of either the PPP or the PML-N had bothered to visit the city or the injured.

Following the orders of Punjab chief minister, the Punjab IGP Tariq Saleem Dogar visited Bahawalpur and urged the people to develop tolerance to overcome the challenges of terrorism and sectarianism. He said that the local police was investigating the incident and assured that the attackers will soon be arrested. (with additional input from AFP)

Published in The Express Tribune, September 26^th, 2010.