PAKISTAN-Ethnicity and Democracy

Ethnicity and Democracy ON September 18 this year, Shia Muslims were mourning the death of their Imam Hussian who along with seventy of his family members was killed in Karbala in Iraq many centuries ago. On that day, the tenth of Muharram, processions are taken out by the Shia community in all the large and small cities of this country. This particular year, the majority Sunni Muslims of Pakistan are said to have attacked the Shia processionists in various cities all over the Punjab. The result was that in Leiah four people were killed; in Multan one was killed; in Bahawalpur one, and in Lahore three were killed and at least.60 were injured. In Dera Ismail Khan an armed clash between the Shias and Sunnis took place which resulted in injuries to seven individuals. The army had to be called out in these cities of the Punjab and curfew was imposed for many days in Lahore and in Dera Ismail Khan.