July 2010 Lahore bombings

July 2010 Lahore attacks
Location Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Date 1 July 2010 (UTC+5)
Target Sufi shrine
Attack type
 2 Suicide bombings
Deaths 50[1]
Non-fatal injuries
 200+[1]

The July 2010 Lahore bombings occurred on 1 July 2010 in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Two suicide bombers blew themselves up at the Sufi shrine, Data Durbar Complex. At least 50 people died and 200 others were hurt in the blasts.[1][2][3] This was the biggest attack on a Sufi shrine in Pakistan since 2001.[2]

Background

Tasawwuf is a part of Islam and the Sufis are those who practice Tasawwuf. Within the last few centuries it has come under attack from the Wahhabi Sunnis which consider it polytheistic (which is a claim heavily refuted and disproven).[4]

The Data Durbar shrine is the burial place of the Sufi saint Syed Ali Hajwairi.[5] His book 'Kashif-ul-Mahjub' (which literally means 'unveiling of the veiled') is the first treatise in Sufi literature known as 'Malfujat'. Thursdays are the busiest days at the shrine as a large number of devotees come to pay their respects and attain blessings.[6]

The shrine was mostly frequented by members of the Ahle-Sunnath Wal Jamath sect whom the Taliban consider heretics.[2] The shrine was known for its colourful festivals in which the devotees dance, a practice considered un-Islamic by the Taliban.[7] In March 2009 Taliban militants had bombed the shrine of Sufi poet Rahman Baba and in June 2009 Sarfraz Ahmed Naeemi a moderate cleric belonging to the Ahle-Sunnath Wal Jamath sect was killed in a suicide bombing blamed on Taliban.[8]

Attack

Police initially said that three suicide bombers attacked the shrine. One attack occurred at gate number 5 to the shrine, one in the courtyard, and one in the basement. The attackers struck in the evening, when the shrine was most busy due to the cooler weather.[6]

Doctors said they expected the death toll to rise; and at Mayo Hospital, where the injured were sent, officials declared a state of emergency. Twenty-five people were in critical condition according to hospital officials.[9] The Lahore Police Commissioner Khusro Pervez also appealed to people not to rush to hospitals.[5]

Immediate reactions

Media personnel were attacked by enraged people at the site. Police also resorted to aerial firing to disperse people gathered at the shrine so as to clear the area. Scuffles then took place between protesters and police as people demanded that investigations be made on loopholes in the security arrangements.[6]

The next day about 2,000 people, some armed, staged protests in the city shouting "Down with Shahbaz Sharif".

Police were put high alert in Pakistan as demands grew for a tougher crackdown on armed religious groups in central Punjab. Security was also tightened at Sufi shrines across the country, while many Pakistanis, called for the resignation of Punjab government officials.[10]

Investigation

The administrators of the shrine said that strict security arrangement had been made, and that all devotees entering the shrine were thoroughly checked.[6]

The police commissioner said that the body parts of two suicide bombers had been found, including two heads. He said the suicide bombers were very young and that each suicide jacket could have carried up to 10–15 kg. of explosives.[6]

On 5 July, Pakistani authorities arrested 12 suspects, though the identity of the actual perpetrators remains a mystery. Ammunition and weapons were also recovered in the raids in two areas of Lahore. Five police officers were also suspended for security lapses that led to the attack.[11]

Responsibility

Though there has not been a claim of responsibility, previous bombings in Lahore have been blamed on the Pakistani Taliban because of their disagreement with minority interpretations of Islam, such as Sufism.[5] However, Azam Tariq, a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, denied responsibility for the attacks and called them the handiwork of secret foreign agencies.[4] A spokesperson for the Punjabi Taliban, Muhammad Umar, said that "We don't follow a policy of attacking shrines. During five years of government in Afghanistan, the Taliban never demolished a single shrine. Strategically it would also be ridiculous if we send anybody for any suicide attack. Why should we do that? If we really want to kill people over there all we need is to simply park an explosive laden car and that's all."[11] He further termed the incident as an act of spy agencies and Blackwater, aimed to "defame the Mujahideen."[12]

However protests were held in Lahore blaming Taliban militants for the attack.[13]

Reactions

Domestic reactions
International organisations
National reactions

Aftermath

Prime Minister Gilani announced that the government and opposition would hold a national conference in order to discuss ways to combat terrorism.[19] The conference was attended by the Chief Ministers of all four Pakistani provinces as well as other officials. Gilani stated that "after being hit hard in northwest Pakistan, terrorists are on the run and seeking refuge in the urban areas of the country, where they are attacking soft targets and spreading sectarian hatred."[20]

After the attacks religious leaders of the Barelvi sect accused the Punjab government of having connections with the Taliban. They met with Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and demanded the resignation of the Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan who had previously campaigned with a leader of the banned militant group Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan.[21] After the meeting, Haji Fazl-e-Karim, one of the Barelvi leaders, told the media "Rana Sanaullah's contacts with terrorists are most obvious, and he must resign."[21]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Explosions at famous shrine in Pakistan kill dozens". CNN. 2 July 2010. Retrieved 3 July 2010.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Deadly blasts hit Sufi shrine in Lahore". BBC. 1 July 2010. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  3. ↑ Tavernise, Sabrina (1 July 2010). "Blasts at Sufi Shrine in Pakistan Kill at Least 35". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Jacinto, Leela (2 July 2010). "Lahore attack strikes Sufism, a tolerant blend of Islam". France 24. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Deadly blasts hit Lahore shrine, Al Jazeera, 1 July 2010 2010
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Thirty five killed at Data Darbar blast, The Express Tribune (English newspaper), 1 July 2010
  7. ↑ Wright, Tom; Hussain, Zahid (1 July 2010). "Triple Suicide Bombing in Pakistan Kills 40". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
  8. ↑ "Bombing the Light of God". The Economist. 2 July 2010. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "35 killed, 175 hurt in triple suicide blasts at Data Darbar: DCO". The News International. 1 July 2010. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  10. ↑ "Pakistan on alert after shrine raid". Al Jazeera. 2 July 2010. Retrieved 3 July 2010.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 http://www.hindustantimes.com/Lahore-shrine-attack-12-suspects-arrested/Article1-567861.aspx
  12. ↑ Punjabi Taliban disown attacks on Data Darbar
  13. ↑ Hussain, Waqar. "Pakistan PM visits scene of shrine bombing". Agence France-Presse. Retrieved 3 July 2010.
  14. ↑ Lahore Church in support of Sufis targeted by terrorism
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Toosi, Nahal (2 July 2010). "Pakistanis blame US after shrine attack kills 42". Bloomberg BusinessWeek. Associated Press. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "World deplores Lahore terror blasts". 3 July 2010. Retrieved 3 July 2010.
  17. ↑ "India condemns Lahore terror attack". Hindustan Times. 2 July 2010. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
  18. ↑ "US condemns Pakistan attack, backs democracy". Agence France-Presse. 2 July 2010. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
  19. ↑ Perlez, Jane (4 July 2010). "Government in Pakistan Calls Meeting on Terrorism". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
  20. ↑ "Gilani chairs high-level anti-terror meeting". Dawn. 5 July 2010. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 "Pakistan clerics accuse Punjab leaders of Taliban link". BBC. 5 July 2010. Retrieved 5 July 2010.

External links

Coordinates: 31°34′44″N 74°18′17″E / 31.57889°N 74.30472°E