QUETTA, Pakistan: At least 40 pilgrims to Iraq/Iran holy shrines were martyred on Sunday in Mastung District, southwest Pakistan in a remotely-triggered bomb which hit their convoy consisting of three buses carrying about 180 pilgrims. The bomb set one of the buses ablaze. The bodies of Arbaeen Pilgrims were totally burnt.

While condemning deadly attack The Quaid-i-MillatJafariya Agha Syed Hamid Ali Shah Moosavi has said that the Mastung tragedy is a heavy slap on the face of incapable rules. All affected areas including Balochistan, Karachi and Peshawar should be handed over to the army. International media can telecast live interviews of the terrorists but Pakistani rulers are unable to find them and such rulers have no justification to rule. There is need to carry out operation against terrorists and now is the time to take final step to root out terrorism. Strict security plan should be laid for the protection of processions and Majalis of Chehlum of Syed-us-Shuhada. The Azadars should remain calm and peaceful and continue Azadari programmes with courage and bravery till 8th RabiulAwwal and give priority to the mourning of Imam Hussain (A.S.) over all other grieves, protest and strike calls, jalao-gherao as such steps would fulfil the agenda of terrorists. The enemy desires to push us back from Azadari of Syed-us-Shuhada through their evil agenda but all powers should keep in mind that they cannot stop Azadari come what may because it is the eternal protest against oppression. These views were expressed by him while strongly condemning worst terrorist attack on the Zaireen bus in Mastung who were going to participate in Arbaeen-e-Hussaini.

Agha Moosavi said we are offering sacrifices by following in the footsteps of Zainab (S.A.) and Sajjad (A.S.) for centuries and would not hesitate in doing so in future. He said the coward acts of oppressors speak of their defeat and we pay salute to those who have sacrificed their lives in way of Hussain (A.S.). He said the terrorist world were utilizing all their energy to overcome Pakistan and from the beginning of Muharram it is being felt that there is no State or government in Pakistan. Incidents of terrorism and target killings are going on in Dera Ismail Khan, DhokeSyedan, Quetta, Karachi, Peshawar, assassination of Bashir Balour, abduction of Levies personnel, attacks on police mobile and security forces. The terrorist attack on the Zaireen bus in Mastung has unveiled the inability of the government security personnel again. The whole Pakistan is bleeding while all government institutions are pitched against each other. The rulers and politicians are busy in polishing their politics and why not rulers cut off those hands about whom they said they are involved in such incidents?

The TNFJ chief said the statement of Secretary Defence is enough to open the eyes of the patriotic forces that America and Britain are heavily opposed to Pakistan’s atomic programme and American CIA and agencies working for it are involved in incidents taking place in Pakistan. On the other hand, he added, echoes of mutual understanding with terrorists are being heard but the terrorists are not ready to budge even a step from their stand.

The Quaid-i-MillatJafariya Agha Syed Hamid Ali Shah Moosavi said that earlier when Zaireen were targeted in Mastung, the TehreekNafazFiqh-e-Jafariya had invited the government attention to give the routes of Parachinar, Gilgit-Baltistan and Quetta-Taftan in the supervision of army to make their journey peaceful and set up check-posts, mobile squads should be provided to Zaireen caravans but the government did not pay any heed to our proposal and yet another incident in Mastung. He said army is called even in floods proving that the armed forces are the last hope of the people. He lamented that if the terrorists are arrested, they are set free only by saying that investigations were faulty. If so, he added, cases of terrorism should also be filed against those who were not carrying out faulty investigations. He reiterated his demand that the sensitive routs may be handed over to the army.

Meanwhile 19 dead bodies and dozens of injured have been shifted to different hospitals of Rawalpindi for DNA test of martyrs for identification of the dead bodies as all of them were burnt beyond recognition. TNFJ information counter has been setup in Holy family Hospital under supervision of Allama Guftar Hussain Sadiqi.