Carnage in Shikarpur: Qadri says rulers orchestrate terrorist attacks

LAHORE:

Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Tahirul Qadri telephoned Majlis-i-Wahdatul Muslimeen secretary general Agha Amin Shaheedi on Saturday to offer his condolences for those killed in the Shikarpur carnage on Friday.

Qadri said it seemed that the country had been presented to terrorists on a platter. He said only God could help the country if incidents like this continued to happen. Qadri said a government unable to enforce rules regarding wedding receptions was unlikely to be able to enforce the National Action Plan on terrorism.

He said people from the entire cross-section of American and European societies including the parliaments, the judiciary and non-governmental organisations had joined hands to eradicate the scourge of terrorism once and for all. Qadri asked why this could not be done in Pakistan. The PAT chief told Shaheedi that the party shared their grief. He said an attempt was being made to ensure that the constitution of military courts brought no improvement. Qadri said the rulers were trying to give the act of terrorism a sectarian colour. Qadri said ‘a hidden hand’ was behind this.

He said the government’s actions had left the people disillusioned. Qadri accused the government of orchestrating terrorist attacks. He said the June 17 Model Town violence was no different.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 1^st, 2015.