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3 Days of Mourning in Pakistan's Quetta

Local residents carry the coffin of a bomb blast victim during a funeral in Mingora, Pakistan, January 11, 2013.

Pakistan Bomb Blasts Kill More Than 110

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VOA News

January 11, 2013

Officials in Pakistan's Baluchistan province Friday declared a three-day mourning period, following deadly bomb blasts in the province capital.

Authorities said security forces have been deployed around Quetta where political and religious groups say they will hold protests against the bombings.

The victims' funerals are set to begin Friday.

Police say two suicide bomb blasts Thursday in Quetta in a billiards hall frequented by Shi'ite Muslims killed 82 people.

The billiards hall attack came just hours after another deadly bomb blast in the Quetta market.

A string of bombings across Pakistan Thursday killed 115 people and wounded nearly 250, on one of the nation's deadliest days in years.

The outlawed militant Sunni group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has claimed responsibility for the Quetta explosions.

Shi'ites make up about 20 percent of Pakistan's mostly Sunni Muslim population of 160 million people.

Ali Dayan Hasan, the Pakistan director of Human Rights Watch, said Friday that Pakistan's Shi'ite Muslims are living in a state of siege and warned sectarian violence is likely to rise. He said "if yesterday's attack is any indication, it's just going to get worse." Four hundred Shi'ites were killed in Pakistan last year.

People mourn next to the coffins of their relatives who were killed in bombings, Quetta, Pakistan, January 11, 2013.
People attend funeral prayers for a victim who was killed by a bomb blast, in Mingora, Swat valley, Pakistan, January 11, 2013.
Shi'ite Muslims hold a silent protest a day after deadly blasts in Quetta, Pakistan, January 11, 2013. (H. Samsoor/VOA)
Journalists hold a black flag outside the Quetta Press Club to mourn the three journalists killed in the January 10th explosions in the city, Quetta, Pakistan, January 11, 2013.
A paramilitary soldier frisks a man at the entrance of a mosque in Mingora, Swat valley, Pakistan a day after deadly bombings, January 11, 2013.
A man takes a photograph with his mobile phone of a house that was damaged by a bomb blast in Quetta, Pakistan, January 11, 2013.
People walk around the debris from a bomb blast in Quetta, Pakistan, January 10, 2013. (Hameed Samsor/VOA)
Police and residents at the site of a bomb blast in Quetta, Pakistan, January 10, 2013. (Hameed Samsor/VOA)
The site of bomb blast in Quetta, Pakistan, January 10, 2013. (Hameed Samsor/VOA)

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by: minoo from: india

January 11, 2013 10:38 AM

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Responsibality goes to founder of Pakistan,himself a Shia,Mr M.Ali Jinnah for making Butchristan for his own fellow.Make Pakistan a secular state,or face hellistan.

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by: ahmad from: USA

January 13, 2013 6:01 PM

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My heartfelt condolences for the families of the victims. People of Pakistan should all come forward to reject all forms of violence and extremism. If the masses keep on remaining silent on this mentality as long as it does not hurt their home, they are supporting the evil cause and they even are mistaken that they would be safe. Tolerance is becoming rare there. I am afraid extremism is rising rapidly which must be stopped. This was never vision of founder of Pakistan he wanted a secular state.

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by: Shahnaz Latif from: Dallas

January 12, 2013 12:45 PM

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My deepest condolence to all the families of victims, may Allah give them strength to bare it. What a shame for the government of Pakistan. Where are the so called humanitarians? All human beings should condemn this cruel act in the name of religion. Pakistan government and all political leaders and specially Dr. Maulana Tahir-ul-Qadri should stop his rally and take care of the victims of Quetta bomb blast. Everyone is silent because the victims are minority? Give them justice.

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3 Days of Mourning in Pakistan's Quetta

<h1>3 Days of Mourning in Pakistan's Quetta</h1><img src="http://www.voanews.com/App_Themes/VOA_en-US/img/colorLogo.gif"/>Officials in Pakistan's Baluchistan province Friday declared a three-day mourning period, following deadly bomb blasts in the province capital.<br /> <br /> Authorities said security forces have been deployed around Quetta where political and religious groups say they will hold protests against the bombings.<br /> <br /> The victims' funerals are set to begin Friday.<br /> <br /> Police say two suicide bomb blasts Thursday in Quetta in a billiards hall frequented by Shi'ite Muslims killed 82 people.   <br /> <br /> The billiards hall attack came just hours after another deadly bomb blast in the Quetta market.<br /> <br /> A string of bombings across Pakistan Thursday killed 115 people and wounded nearly 250, on one of the nation's deadliest days in years.<br /> <br /> The outlawed militant Sunni group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi  has claimed responsibility for the Quetta explosions.  <br /> <br /> Shi'ites make up about 20 percent of Pakistan's mostly Sunni Muslim population of 160 million people.<br /> <br /> Ali Dayan Hasan, the Pakistan director of Human Rights Watch, said Friday that Pakistan's Shi'ite Muslims are living in a state of siege and warned sectarian violence is likely to rise.  He said "if yesterday's attack is any indication, it's just going to get worse." Four hundred Shi'ites were killed in Pakistan last year.<br /> <br /> <div class="tag_image tag_gallery_plain" contenteditable="false" mode="gallery|plain|1581292"> <img src="http://gdb.voanews.eu/E6A69F3C-07CE-446B-9C80-E42DDFCB7045_w512_h482.jpg?nocache=1" /></div> <link rel="canonical" href="http://www.voanews.com/content/sectarian-violence-expected-to-rise-in-pakistan/1581811.html"/><meta name="syndication-source" content="http://www.voanews.com/content/sectarian-violence-expected-to-rise-in-pakistan/1581811.html"/><img src="http://livetracker.voanews.eu/counter.lt?PageType=256&RecordId=1581811&SiteId=415&r=618058961&it=0&pd=20130111094750&url=ArticleID1581811" alt="" style="border:none;" height="1" width="1">

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