Iranian MP Slams Islamabad’s Inaction on Shiite Killings
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – An Iranian lawmaker deplored the Pakistani government for its muted response to the frequent killings of Shiite Muslims in terrorist attacks in the South Asian country.
Speaking to the Tasnim News Agency, member of the parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Mansour Haqiqatpour said the Pakistani government should behave more responsibly when it come to the lives of Shiites.
Earlier on Friday, over 60 people were killed and dozens more severely injured in a bomb attack on a Shiite mosque and religious center in Pakistan's southern province of Sindh.
Local security officials said the attack occurred when people were performing Friday Prayers in the town of Shikarpur, around 470 kilometers (300 miles) north of the port city of Karachi.
“The Pakistani government has unfortunately remained silent on these incidents, and sometimes fuels such insecurity,” Haqiqatpour said.
“The terrorist groups live in Pakistan freely and such freedom has led to such occasional tragic incidents," he stated, adding, "Pakistani Shiites are the main victims of these incidents."
Targeted killings against Shiite Muslims in Pakistan have drawn international outrage, with rights groups and regional countries expressing concern over the growing deadly violence.
Shiites are seen as a minority group in Pakistan. They make up about a fifth of the country's population of over 180 million.
