Protesters in Lahore slam Pakistani Muslim Shia killings

Shia Muslims have held a major demonstration in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore, protesting against targeted killings of Muslims in the country, Press TV reports.

The Saturday demonstration was organized by Pakistan’s Majlis-e Wahdat-e Muslimeen (Assembly of Muslim Unity), which is the largest Shia organization in the country.

Protesters condemned targeted killings of Shia Muslims including the February 27 murder of Shia Muslim scholar, Allama Taqi Hadi Naqvi, who was gunned down by unknown assailants in the port city of Karachi.

The demonstrators also chanted slogans against the Pakistani government’s failure to secure the lives of Shias across the country.

“We have been protesting against the sectarian and targeted killing of Shia brothers and sisters for long but it seems to have no effect on the government,” said Agha Zahid Hussain, a protest organizer, adding, “The murderers are rolling freely, killing our loved ones while the government is protecting them.”

Shia leaders in Pakistan say the government should put serious focus on ensuring security of local people rather than initiating talks with the perpetrators of the targeted killings.

Condemning the recent government initiation of talks with Taliban militants, Shia leader Allama Abdul Khalid Asadi said, “It is Taliban talking to the Taliban. Therefore it is murderers talking to murderers, while people are gunned down, bombed, and targeted.”

Shia killings have been on the rise in Pakistan recently. At least three prominent Shia figures have been killed only in the past three days.