Pakistani Christian family murdered in bomb blasts

At least 27 men, women and children, among 5 members of a Christian family, were killed during a twin blasts in Karachi, Pakistan’s commercial hub on Feb. 5. About 133 others wounded.

Five members of that Christian family of Ibrahim Hyderi, Labour Colony, were killed in the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) blast. The deceased were; Manzoor Masih and his wife Rosy, daughter Carol, 14, Mrs Parveen Basharat and her daughter Narmal, 12. They went to see a newborn daughter of their relative Sheeba who was admitted there. Right after meeting the girl, as they reached the emergency gate of the JPMC, the bomb went off and they all died on the spot. The blast which apparently exploded in a motorcycle was as severe as it shattered all the windowpanes of the hospital and damaged many of the parked ambulances, cars and motorcycles and other installations.

“The blast has destroyed our universe and become the most horrible tragedy of our life,” a family member Pervez Masih told Daily Times, a local English daily.

That blast was the second that day. The first blast attacked a bus which carrying Shia Muslim mourners to participate in a religious procession to mark the end of the holy month of Muharram. Many claim that these were suicide attacks.

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, expressing deep grief and sorrow on the bomb explosions, has asked the authorities concerned to start repair work immediately. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah announced compensation of Rs 500,000 (US$6250) for the survivors of those killed in the two blasts in Karachi and Rs 100,000 (US$1250) for each injured. Several political and religious parties have announced a three-day mourning in the city.

This was the second biggest blasts occurred in Karachi, Pakistan’s biggest city, in the last three months. During the previous blast on Dec. 28, 2009 at least 44 people died and 87 injured.

The twin suicide attacks in the port city of Karachi seem to have been carried out by the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ) which is the most violent al-Qaeda-linked anti-Shia terrorist group operating in Pakistan with the help of its lethal suicide squad, The News, an English daily, says.

For the last several years Pakistan is prime target of terrorist attacks. According to Pak Institute for Peace Studies, in 2009, 2,586 terrorist, insurgent and sectarian-related incidents were reported that killed 3,021 people and injured 7,334.

Many innocent Christians were also killed during these terrorist attacks. Although Taliban took responsibility of these attacks, right wing parties (especially Imran Khan’s Tehrik-e-Insaf and Jamaat-e-Islami) give justifications to these attacks.

According to a media report, “Pakistan's feared Taliban network claimed responsibility for that attack, sparking riots that caused huge financial losses.” 

Aftab Alexander Mughal edits Minorities Concern of Pakistan.