Karachi bus attack victims laid to rest

KARACHI: 44 victims of the deadly gun-attack on an Ismaili community bus were laid to rest at a community graveyard in Sakhi Hassan area under tight security.

The funeral prayers for the victim were offered on Thursday morning at the Al-Azhar Garden colony in Karachi.




Gunmen stormed the bus belonging to the minority community near Safoora Chowrangi Wednesday morning, killing at least 45 people and leaving severely injured.

According to latest reports from the hospital, one more woman injured in the attack succumbed to her wounds during treatment, raising the death toll to 46.

Following the deadly attack, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Army Chief General Raheel Sharif rushed to Karachi and held a high-level meeting to review the security situation and ongoing Rangers-led operation in the city.

Paramilitary Rangers conducted a series of targeted raids in Sohrab Goth, Safoora Goth Lasi Goth and other neighbourhoods late Wednesday and arrested 70 suspects, the Rangers said in a statement.

According to the spokesman, raids were also carried out at suspected hideouts of banned outfits in Ayub Goth, Machar Colony, Afghan Basti, Janjal Goth, Jamali Goth and Faqeera Goth.

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‘Day of mourning’

A day of mourning was being observed across the country with the national flag flying at half-mast to honour the victims of the massacre.

The Sindh government had also announced a day of mourning on Thursday following the gruesome attack. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Tahafuz-e-Azadari Council Pakistan also announced a nationwide day of mourning to be observed today.

The Shia Ulema Council have said that would observe three days of mourning.

Traffic and public transport was sparse in Karachi while commercial centres and private schools remained closed. The Karachi Tajir Ittehad Council had announced that shops in the city will remain closed on Thursday.

Examinations for matriculation and intermediate and papers at all universities have been postponed.