ISIS detonates bomb at a Pakistani shrine, 52 dead
Almost 52 people were killed and 100 injured in a bomb blast that took place at a Sufi shrine in Pakistan. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack. The blast occurred when the worshippers were participating in a ceremony at the Shah Noorani shrine, 750kms south of Quetta in the Balochistan province. This is the third attack in the province this year.
The Shah Noorani shrine in Quetta
The saint Shah Noorani shrine is revered by Shia and Sunni Muslims. A dance ceremony called 'dhamaal' is held at dusk which is considered against Islam by terrorist groups like the Taliban and Islamic State (IS). Sufism, a mystical Islamic tradition that reveres living saints, worshipping them through music is seen as heretical by the radical terrorist groups such as the Taliban.
Taliban's war on Sufism: Amjad Sabri shot dead
On 23 June 2016, the Taliban terrorists killed Amjad Sabri, a devotional Qawwali singer from the Sufi tradition, an Islamic practice opposed by extremists. He was the son of Qawwali legend Ghulam Farid Sabri.
Remote location of the shrine making relief difficult
Balochistan Interior Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti said that the shrine was located in the remote mountains of Uthal and reaching there was difficult. The rescue operations were difficult due to the narrow passage to the Dargah and the darkness that had engulfed the area. The area also lacked basic amenities or security arrangements needed for quick relief of those injured.
Pakistani leadership denounces the attack
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President Mamnoon Hussain strongly condemned the blast on the Shah Noorani shrine. They ordered the Balochistan officials to expedite the rescue operations and provide the best medical care to those injured. Other political leaders such as Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan also expressed sorrow over the slaying of innocent people in the blast.
