A clash between two groups during a Muharram procession yesterday left 14 persons, including two policemen and a reporter, injured in Shah Mohammad village of Haripur district in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Dawn reported. The violence resulted from differences over road barricades within the city, where some parties are said to have hurled stones and chairs at the procession participants.
The police had to intervene, scattering them with tear gas. Injured persons have been rushed to the nearby medical centers, one of whom is in critical condition with head injuries. Social media speculation indicated the involvement of the proscribed extremist outfit Sipah-e-Sahaba in the attack, though official investigations are underway.
Accordingly, the Pakistani administration has heightened vigil across the country, with 502 locations in Punjab being declared sensitive and coordination of army and Rangers’ personnel there. Section 144 is promulgated to ensure public peace and sectarian amity and overall law and order remaining intact during Muharram in Punjab, like in cities such as Karachi.
Muharram is the most important month in the calendar for Shia Muslims, but every year, there is an inbuilt possibility of an outburst of sectarian violence in Pakistan. Historical incidents of deadly attacks resulting in killings, such as the 2007 Quetta mosque bombing and the 2009 Karachi procession bombing, have already proved past failures to overcome these dangers. The inability of the government to respond to threats like this has only continued to repeat itself, evermore difficult to handle with extremist outfits that of late exploit social media platforms to foment hate and further incite violence. It, therefore, means vigilant monitoring with stringent control measures to ensure peaceful coexistence and stability in all parts of the country.