Wielding batons, shouting slogans: Protesters lash out at police in Sehwan

SEHWAN: Left devastated by a suicide attack on the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar which killed at least 800 and injured over 300, locals and bereaved family members protested against the police in Sehwan on Friday.

An angry mob went around the area around the shrine, wielding batons, shouting slogans against the police. Some of them set a police vehicle ablaze. They also protested outside a hospital in the vicinity.

While shouting and crying in grief over the carnage, the protesters demanded they be let inside premises of the shrine, that was closed for public after the attack. But when they were not heard, the inconsolable locals climbed their way in.

Despite rising terrorism attacks across the country, sufficient security had not been provided at the shrine, said people who were protesting outside the shrine Friday morning.

The shrine's Sajjada Nasheen, spiritual heir, told Geo News he was not satisfied with the security arrangement that was in place before the attack.

Holy places put on red alert

The government placed security on high alert outside mosques across the city where Friday prayers were underway. Shrines across the country were also closed for public.

Administrator of the auqaf department Muhammad Nusrat, said the shrines would be reopened after a meeting with the police. The closed shrines includeded those of Bibi Pak Daman and Data Ganj Bakhsh in Lahore and Abdullah Shah Ghazi in Karachi. 

According to the auqaf department's website of both the provinces, there are 78 shrines in Sindh and 37 in Punjab.