Pakistan: Taliban incited violence

Christians noticed pro-Taliban slogans, Taliban Zindabad 'Long live Taliban', on the wall of a church in Taseer Town Chowk, Khuda Ki Basti, Karachi, Pakistani’s financial capital, on the morning of April 22nd. When they were erasing the graffiti, some armed men stepped in and tried to stop them. Later on they were joined by some more armed groups. According to the eyewitnesses, the criminals were about 30 to 40. They started indiscriminate fires at shops the area and left five people injured, among them  were three Christians.

The miscreants then set on fire shops, damaging houses and stalls. They also robbed several shops and damaged 6 houses. After some time, Police and Rangers came on the scene and arrested six people with weapons. The residents of the areas staged a protest. To control the situation, the law enforcement agencies imposed a curfew in the area.

According to the Daily Times, the four parliamentarians (belong to religious minorities) in the National Assembly (NA, lower house of the parliament) staged a token walkout of the House on April 22 in protest at the burning of three churches in Karachi. The Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM, a regional political party) Minority Wing In-charge Asif Stephen told the newsmen that the Taliban do not only attacked the Christians but have also told them to leave the area.

The Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM, a regional political party) condemned the incident and said it is another concrete piece of evidence of the threat of Taliban creeping into the city. A couple of days back, a close aide of Baitullah Mehsud, head of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Pakistani Taliban, was arrested in Karachi.

The situation in Karachi is still tense. On April 23, unknown militants have thrown explosive material on a bus which sparked fire on it.

Aftab Mughal is the editor of Minorities Concern of Pakistan.