Terrorist attack in Lahore on March 27, 2016

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Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park in Lahore
Location of the park in Lahore

On Easter Sunday , March 27, 2016, there was a bomb attack in Lahore , the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab , against members of the Christian minority . At least 72 people died and more than 300 were injured. Most of the victims were children and women. The bombing was explicitly against the Christians; however, most of the victims of the attacks were Muslims.

attack

Around 6:30 p.m. local time, a powerful explosion occurred at the main gate of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park , a large park in Lahore, near a children's playground. The park was full of visitors at that time. Among the visitors were many members of the Christian minority of Pakistan who celebrated Easter with their families. After the explosion, visitors fled the site in a panic. Most of the injured were transported to Jinnah Hospital , Lahore's largest hospital. Since there were not enough ambulances available to handle the large number of injured, taxis or rickshaws also took over the transport. The police announced a short time later that it had been a suicide attack .

After the attack, the Taliban splinter group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar ("Community of Freedom Fighters") declared that they were responsible for the attack and that the attack was aimed at Christians. More attacks would follow.

To the background

Terrorist acts and violent riots against religious minorities (Christians, Hindus , Ahmadiyya etc.) are not uncommon in Pakistan, which was the first country in the world to declare itself an " Islamic Republic " in 1956 . About a year before the attack, on March 15, 2015, the Lahore Catholic Church was bombed, killing 10 people. 78 people were killed in a bomb attack in Peshawar on September 22, 2013 in the All Saints Church there. On February 18, 2015, a Jamaat-ul-Ahrar suicide bomber blew himself up outside police headquarters in Lahore, killing four people.

On the day of the bombing, police used tear gas against a demonstration by Islamists in Lahore against the execution of Mumtaz Qadri , the murderer of Punjab provincial governor Salman Taseer , a month ago .

The terrorist attack may have been linked to an “ultimatum” given by Islamist groups to the government, which expired on March 27, 2016. In this ultimatum, the Islamists called for a law to be withdrawn to strengthen women's rights.

Consequences and reactions

Numerous politicians around the world condemned the attack and issued statements. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also condemned the attack, saying it had increased the determination of Pakistani society to end the terrorism. Sharif also ordered anti-terrorist actions by paramilitary security forces in Punjab. The Punjab provincial government announced a three-day state mourning. Pope Francis called the attack a "cowardly and senseless crime" and called on the Pakistani authorities to protect the religious minorities in the country.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Pakistan explosion leaves many dead at Lahore park. BBC News, March 27, 2016, accessed March 28, 2016 .
  2. ↑ a b Taliban profess massacre of Christians. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, March 27, 2016, accessed on March 28, 2016 .
  3. ↑ a b c d Lahore attack: Pakistan PM Sharif demands swift action on terror. BBC News, March 27, 2016, accessed March 28, 2016 .
  4. ↑ Shashank Bengali: Taliban says it targeted Christians in a park on Easter Sunday, killing 70. Los Angeles Times, March 27, 2016, accessed March 28, 2016 .
  5. ^ Ten dead in Christian church blasts in Lahore. BBC News, March 15, 2015, accessed March 28, 2016 .
  6. ^ Ismail Khan, Salman Masood: Scores Are Killed by Suicide Bomb Attack at Historic Church in Pakistan. The New York Times, September 22, 2013, accessed March 28, 2016 .
  7. ^ Lahore suicide attack near police HQ. BBC News, February 18, 2015, accessed March 28, 2016 .
  8. ↑ Lahore bombing: Outpouring of grief and solidarity. al Jazeera, March 28, 2016, accessed May 14, 2016 .
  9. ↑ Mehreen Zahra-Malik, Mubasher Bukhari: Pakistan plans new paramilitary crackdown; Easter bombing kills 70. Reuters, March 28, 2016, accessed May 13, 2016 .
  10. ^ Pope Francis condemns terrorist attack against Pakistani Christians. Vatican Radio, March 28, 2016, archived from the original on May 13, 2016 ; accessed on May 14, 2016 .