Killers on rampage once again in Pakistan

Photo by Dawn

Friday 23rd June 2017 has witnessed the massive killing, as killers seemed on the rampage once gain in Pakistan. In the late evening in Karachi in two separate incidents the police personnel came under attack. In the first incident fire was opened at a police party around Iftari time and in another incident two policemen were shot and wounded, both targeting law enforcement officials.

The twin blasts in Parachinar took place around Iftari time. The nature of the explosions was not immediately clear. The explosions targeted people shopping in the area ahead of Eid. The city with a population of more than 50,000, has been under strict security arrangements for quite some time. On 31^st March this year, the city had suffered a similar tragedy when 23 people were killed in a car bomb blast near an Imam Bargah at midday. More than 70 others were wounded in the attack. Earlier in January this year, 25 people were killed and 87 were injured when a bomb went off during peak business hours at a crowded vegetable market in the city

At least 13 people ─ including seven policeman ─ lost their lives, while 19 others were injured in a blast in Quetta in the  morning. Lately, Balochistan has endured various blasts primarily targeting security personnel. Earlier this month, three security officials were injured after an improvised explosive device (IED) targeted their vehicle in Kalat. Days later, two navy sailors were martyred and at least three others were wounded when their vehicle was attacked in the Jiwani area of Gwadar district. In May, at least 10 workers were killed in Gwadar district when unidentified assailants opened fire at the construction site.

For the blast in Quetta, no one has claimed responsibility but it can be linked to the death sentence of an Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, who was awarded death sentence by a military court. Jadhav was arrested from Iran-Pakistan border on the day Iranian President came to Pakistan. This incident can be linked to creating unrest in the province  to sabotage CPEC.

The blast in Parachinar can also be linked to resistance against CPEC as well as targeting Shias. For considerably long time certain groups have been trying to create Shia-Sunni conflict in Pakistan, but all their efforts have failed.