RBroz Consultancy Corner: Bomb attack at Sindh imambargah; 56 killed

SHIKARPUR: At least 56 people were killed in a powerful explosion at a crowded Shia mosque here during Friday prayers, the latest sectarian attack to hit the nation.

Police said the blast was caused either by a suicide bomber or an explosive device which went off when the mosque was at its fullest on Friday afternoon in the center of Shikarpur, Sindh. “We are trying to ascertain the nature of the blast,” said Shikarpur police chief Saqib Ismail Memon. “A bomb disposal squad is examining the scene.” Earlier, Saeed Ahmed Mangnejo, head of the regional civil administration, told Reuters that the death toll had reached 49.

In chaotic scenes that followed the blast, part of the mosque collapsed after the explosion, burying some of the wounded under rubble. Bystanders pulled people from the debris and piled them into cars for the journey to hospital. Locals said there were not enough ambulances and the army later sent additional vehicles to transport people to hospitals. The atmosphere was tense in Shikarpur after the explosion, with shops boarded up and crowds of emotional residents massing outside hospitals. “The entire city is in lockdown and there is tension in the air. There is a heavy police presence and the Rangers are patrolling the city,” said Pariyal Marri, a local resident.

Jundullah, a splinter group of Pakistan Taliban which last year pledged support for the Islamic State group based in Syria and Iraq, claimed responsibility. “Our target was the Shia mosque ... They are our enemies,” said Fahad Marwat, a Jundullah spokesman. He did not elaborate. Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen, a Shia organization, has called for a province-wide strike on Saturday in protest. Sain Rakhio Merani, a regional police official, said the blast was probably caused by a bomb, although television quoted some residents as saying they saw a man wearing a suicide vest.

The attack came as Pakistan tries to adopt new measures to tackle extremists following a massacre of 134 children last month at an army-run school in Peshawar. The government has pledged to crack down on all militant groups, reintroduce the death penalty, set up military courts to speed convictions and widen its military campaign in lawless tribal areas. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday strongly condemned the bomb blast. The prime minister in a message extended condolences to the bereaved families and asked the authorities concerned to provide best medical treatment to the injured.

As condemnations poured in over the blast, Majlis-e-Wahdatul Muslimeen announced a three-day mourning. MWM’s Allama Nasir Abbas announced the mourning and condemned the blast in a statement. MWM central leader Allama Mohammed Amin Shaheedi termed the incident as a failure of the government. He said that the party’s further course of action would be announced later. Civil Hospital Shikarpur Superintendent Shaukat Memon confirmed that at least 59 bodies and about 90 others injured including several children were shifted to the hospital.

He said that condition of many wounded people was critical and it was feared that death toll could rise further. Sindh Minister for Information Minister, Health and Local Bodies, Sharjeel Inam Memon said that an emergency was imposed at all hospitals in Shikarpur and surrounding talukas and cities. He added that Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Sindh Health Minister Jam Mehtab Dahar have taken strong notice of the incident. The attack came as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visited Karachi to discuss the law and order situation in the city.