Terror was once again let loose in Karachi on Wednesday, May 9, 2015, when six armed terrorists riding motorcycles intercepted a bus carrying around 60-65 people and killed 45 of them, including 17 women and children belonging to the Ismaili community, in cold blood. As many as 10 others, including women and children, were reported by Pakistan’s print and electronic media. This tragic incident took place at around 9:30 am at a desolate place near Safoora Crossing, Karachi. As reported, the treacherous terrorists who were wearing uniforms resembling those of the law enforcing agencies mercilessly shot the innocent occupants of the bus with Kalashnikovs and 9mm pistols. The terrorists, as always, fled the scene of the crime before the law enforcing agencies reached there.
It is said that some pamphlets, in both Urdu and English language, were also found from the site of the attack claiming that the attack was carried out by the “Mujahideen of Daulatul Islamiyyah of Khorasan” or Islamic State (IS) to avenge the atrocities against the Sunnis in Iraq and Syria, killings of female students of Lal Masjid in Islamabad and fake encounters by former SSP and other police officers of Karachi. The claims of the audacious terrorist groups who committed the brutal act reflect nothing but the magnitude of their shamelessness and inhuman attitude towards innocent people.
It is indeed very sad that such a large number of people lost their valuable lives in the dastardly Karachi bus attack. It is also extremely heartrending that the brutal terror attack that took the lives of 45 totally harmless men, women and children has left their next to kin moan their departure from this mortal world for a long, long time to come. The Pakistani nation has condemned the killing of the members of the Ismaili community, a very amiable and peaceful community, in the strongest terms. The civilised nations from across the world too have strongly condemned the horrible act of the terrorists involved in the Karachi terror attack. His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan, a person of international eminence and spiritual leader of the Ismaili community termed the tragic incident that took place in Karachi as a senseless act of violence against a peaceful community.
Undoubtedly, the Aga Khan community across the world, including Pakistan, is known as a peace-loving community. It is known to all and sundry that His Highness Prince Kareem Aga Khan has made and continues to make enormous contribution towards the socio-economic development of Pakistan. The Pakistani nation has profound regards for him and fully acknowledges the contribution made by him towards the well-being of Pakistan. The government of Sindh, according to latest media reports, has succeeded in nabbing the criminals involved in the Karachi bus massacre. If that is true, these criminal elements must be brought to book immediately. They must be given exemplary punishment for the heinous crime they committed by ruthlessly killing innocent men, women and children.
M FAZAL ELAHI
Islamabad