(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The funeral of Sibte Jaffar, a prominent Shia poet, academic and social figure who was killed by pro-Taliban militants on March 18, was held in the largest city of Pakistan on Tuesday.
Shia Muslims gathered on the streets to honor the victim and protest against the government, which has been under criticism for what the Pakistani protesters say is its failure to protect the citizens of Pakistan, particularly the Shias.
“I think in Punjab, the government is supporting the banned outfits. How can you expect the government to take action against them? We want peace for Pakistan. We are a peaceful nation,” a mourner at the funeral told us.
The assassination was the latest in a series of attacks on the Shia community in Pakistan over the past few weeks.
On March 3, over 45 people were killed and 150 others wounded in a car bomb attack carried out in Karachi. Women and children were among those killed and injured.
On February 16, a bomb attack targeting Shia Muslims in the main bazaar of the southwestern city of Quetta killed at least 90 people, including women and children, and injured more than 200 others.
Also on January 10, a twin bomb attack at a crowded billiard hall in Quetta, which is the capital of Balochistan Province, killed more than 90 people, mostly Shia Muslims.
Reports say the anti-Shia terrorist group of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) was behind most of the attacks on Shia Muslims in Pakistan.
Human Rights Watch says more than 400 Shias were killed in Pakistan in 2012, which was the deadliest year on record for the Pakistani Shia Muslim community.
Shias in Pakistan say the government must take decisive action against the forces involved in the targeted killings of Muslims. They also accuse Islamabad of failing to provide security for the Muslim community.
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