KARACHI:
Allama Akbar Kumaili, the son of the chief of Jafria Alliance Pakistan and former Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) senator Allama Abbas Kumaili, was laid to rest amid tight security on Sunday afternoon.
Allama Akbar Kumaili, 42, and his guard, Jumman Khan, were shot dead in Bhangoria Goth, within the limits of Azizabad police station on Saturday evening.
His funeral prayers were offered at main Numaish Chowrangi after Zuhr, which were attended by a large number of people.
Leaders of various Shia and Sunni organisations, including Allama Ameen Shaheedi, Allama Baqar Zaidi, Allama Furqan Haider Abidi, Qazi Ahmed Noorani and Sahibzada Azhar Raza Qadri attended the funeral. MQM leaders Haider Abbas Rizvi, Faisal Subzwari, Babar Ghouri and Sagheer Ahmed were also present at the occasion.
Strict security arrangements were made by law enforcement agencies during the funeral prayers, for which purpose roads from Numaish Chowrangi and Boulton Market were cordoned off by placing containers. A large contingent of law enforcers was deployed in the area to avoid any untoward incident.
A joint resolution was passed by leaders of Shia religious parties demanding to hand over Karachi's law and order to the army. The leaders addressed the participants of the funeral occasion, lambasting the government over its failure to provide security to citizens. "Police and Rangers have failed in their duty even after the year-long operation. Now the time has come to hand over the city to the Army," said MWM leader Allama Ameen Shaheedi "At the very least, the Sindh Governor and chief minister should resign." He said that the country was heading towards civil war and terrorists should be wiped out by a military operation.
Allama Akbar was later laid to rest at Ali Bagh graveyard near Cheel Chowk, Lyari. The situation grew tense when unidentified men opened fire at the participants who were returning from the graveyard. No loss to life or property was reported and the situation was quickly brought under control by the law enforcers.
Later in the day, Pakistan Peoples Party leader, Senator Rehman Malik, visited Allama Abbas Kumaili at his residence to pay his respects.
The Allama lashed out at the Sindh government and its dismal performance with regards to the law and order situation and the frequent target killings of members of the Shia community. "My son had been attacked thrice before and the security agencies knew where the terrorist hideouts are, but they did not take any action," said the Allama.
Allama Abbas Kumaili's coordinator, Ali, told The Express Tribune that Rehman Malik assured him of full cooperation by the provincial government. "Army should play its role to stop the killings in Karachi and the Shia-dominated areas should be declared 'red-zone areas'," said the Allama's coordinator, quoting Malik.
Though an inquiry committee was formed and directed to submit a report within 24 hours, the investigators have yet to make any major breakthrough in the case. "On the one side, members of the Shia community are being killed while on the other, members of the Sunni sect are being targeted too," Azizabad DSP Saleem Akhtar Siddiqui told The Express Tribune. "There was a brief respite in sectarian attacks around three months ago, but they seem to have escalated again." He said that the efforts were being made to investigate and arrest the culprits as soon as possible. No case has been registered.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 8th, 2014.
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