Massive protests were held across Gilgit-Baltistan against the Karam attack.
Gilgit-Baltistan: Hundreds of protesters took to the streets across Gilgit-Baltistan to condemn the attack by militants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lower Kurram district that left at least 42 people dead and dozens injured.
Demonstrators expressed their anger over the incident and protested on the streets in various areas including Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan, Hunza and Sirmak where they expressed their support to the families of the victims.
The protesters raised several slogans against the government and KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and demanded justice for the victims, criticizing the administration’s failure to control terrorism in the region.
A massive demonstration erupted after Friday prayers at the Imamiya Jama Masjid in Skardu, with thousands of people marching on the streets to condemn the authorities’ negligence in protecting the Shia community.
Speakers at the rally alleged that the government and security agencies have shown little interest in preventing attacks targeting the Shia community and demanded immediate action to ensure the safety of Parachinar residents.
Similarly, several rallies were held in other areas, including Gilgit, where protesters marched from the Imamiya Jama Masjid to condemn the violence in Lower Karam.
The protests highlighted the growing frustration of the Shia population and their demands for concrete measures to protect their lives and basic human rights. Leaders of the protest movement stressed the need for proper accountability mechanisms against terrorism as well as plans to deal with the problem.
One of the keynote speakers, Sheikh Karamat Ali, expressed anger at the failure of the government and law enforcement agencies to protect the innocent from danger, saying, “Martyrdom is our legacy, but we will not die like this. We will die.” But O Generals, O Prime Minister, O Gandapur, we will turn you into a curse forever, just as Hazrat Zainab made Yazid cursed.
