LAHORE – Religious leaders on Tuesday condemned bomb blasts targeting mourning processions on Imam Hussain’s (RA) Chehlum in Lahore and Karachi but interpreted the incidents in their own way. Some did not mention the mourning procession or Urs of Data Ganj Bakhsh.
Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) leader Fazal Karim said the “explosion on occasion of Urs of Data Ganj Bakhsh was government failure.” Fazal said that the explosion took place near the Data Darbar ignoring the fact that the explosion occurred at the Urdu Bazaar Chowk, 500 yards from the darbar.
Jamaat-e-Ahle Sunnat chief Mazhar Saeed Kazmi and Riaz Husain Shah did not mention the mourning procession and said, “Suicide bombers cannot erode love of saints from hearts of the masses.” Qari Zawar Bahadar and JUP-Noorani leaders condemned the suicide bombings saying, “The heirs of Sufi saints will fight such cowardly incidents.”
Sajid Mir and Hafiz Abdul Karim of the Markazi Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadith termed the blast “act of those forces who want to weaken Pakistan”. Karim suspected Qadianis involvement since they were against blasphemy laws and want to terrorise Namoos-e-Risalat rally organisers.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman termed the suicide attack a conspiracy against Muslim unity and peace. Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Munawar Hassan and Secretary General Liaqat Baloch and Tehreek-e-Jafria Information Secretary Sikandar Abbas Gilani condemned the terrorist attacks.
