-- On the second day of mourning, the Shia Ulema Council in Karachi, Pakistan, announced to stage protest rallies and demonstrations across Sindh on Sunday in connection with the Chehlum (Arbaeen) blasts.

The announcement was made by Quaid-e-Millat Jafferia Pakistan, Syed Sajid Naqvi at a press conference held at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Saturday.

Denouncing the recommendations made by the Islamic Ideology Council (IDC) regarding ban of religious obligations, he demanded of the government that the Ulema belonging to all schools of thought should be given representation in the IDC so that a consensus viewpoint should be evolved from this platform.

Rejecting the proposed ban on the Azadran (mourners), he said that the Azadari (mourning procession) was constitutional and religious obligation of Millat-e-Jafferia that would continue to be taken out during Muharram.

He demanded that an independent and impartial high-level inquiry be constituted and the culprits be brought to book.

He also demanded that compensation be paid to all those who were killed during the 9th, 10th Muharram and Arbaeen indiscriminately. He expressed his thanks to the people who endorsed the strike call given by the Shia organizations. He said a high-level judicial commission be formed to investigate the factors behind these incidents that occurred within 40 days and who were the culprits who unleashed a reign of terror in the city. The cooperation extended by the people denied the impression that it was a sectarian clash and said that it was the continuation of Ashura blast and a total failure of the government and security agencies.

Source: The News