Pakistan: Sectarian Terror and Killing Ritual on Muharram
By Animesh Roul
Annual Shia festivity of Youm- e- Ashura (also known as Muharram in the region) has been marred by suicide blasts and sectarian violence in Pakistan. The epicenters of the latest terror violence were centered around port city of Karachi and Muzafarbad in the capital city of Pakistan Administered Kashmir targeting Shia community. Karachi blast was fourth in a series of attacks targeting Shia processions and gatherings in the last three days. The suicide attack took place near the Light House at Jinnah Road. Besides deaths and destructions caused by the blast itself, the resulting mob violence that spread around Karachi city estimated to have destroyed nearly 500 shops and many vehicles.
Mourning processions by minority Shiite Muslims in Pakistan are often attacked by majority Sunni militants.
•December 28: A suicide bomber blew himself up near a Shiite mourning march in Karachi killing at least 33 people (according to latest fatality count) and injuring several others.
•December 27: At least 15 people were killed and over 100 others injured in suicide blasts near the Pir Alam Shah Bukhari Tomb, a place for Shia prayers in Muzaffarabad, provincial capital of Pakistan Administered Kashmir (PAK). Another suicide attack however, was foiled elsewhere in the Bagh district in PAK that day.
•December 26: A remote controlled bomb blast injured nearly 26 Shia mourners at Khalifat Chowk in North Nazimabad Town of Karachi.
•December 26: Another bomb blast in Orangi Town in Karachi left 24 people injured. Angry mob had resorted to arsons and anti-government protests in reaction to the blast.
In Pakistan, pro Sunni terrorist groups used to carry out deadly attacks in regular intervals against minority Shia populations. Although no terrorist outfit has claimed responsibility so far, the needle of suspicion now is on the Sunni centric Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and its affiliate anti-Shia outfit Lashkar- e- Jhangvi. According to a recent circular distributed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Pakistan, TTP’s newly floated suicide wing 'Mujahid Abu Faraz' has reportedly been assigned to carry out country wide terrorist attacks during Ashura ceremony. The TTP leader Qari Hussain Mehmood has formed the group to avenge the death of Abu Faraz (a.k.a. Nasim Shah), a Taliban commander in Swat). Faraz, a close associate of Mullah Fazlullah, was killed during a recent fight (On 03 December) in the Kabal area of Swat.
Crossposted at MacArthur Foundation's Asia Security Initiative Blog.