Islamabad, Dec 2 (IANS) At least 80 Shia Muslims were killed in targeted attacks across Pakistan in November, a Shia organisation has said in a report.
The Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen Pakistan (MWM), a group set up to unite all scattered organisations and clerics of the Shia community on a single platform, Saturday released the data in its monthly report.
The report said 28 Shias were killed in Sindh, 27 in Punjab, 14 in Balochistan and 11 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Daily Times said Sunday.
Among major cities, at least 26 Shias were killed in the port city of Karachi and 23 in Rawalpindi.
Many of those killed were attacked by suicide bombers during Muharram mourning processions. In some cases, grenades were hurled and there were reports of firing also.
The Islamic month of Muharram is considered a sensitive period in Pakistan, and many attacks on Shias by extremist Sunnis during Muharram have been reported in the past.
Massive attacks took place on Ashura, the 10th day of Muharram which marks the death anniversary of Prophet Mohammad’s grandson Hussain Ibn-e-Ali 1,300 years ago.
