Pakistani Catholics, Muslims condemn terror attack on Ismailis ‎

The National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Pakistan (CBCP) has condemned the killing of innocent people on the basis of their faith as unacceptable and called on the government to investigate the attack and bring the perpetrators to justice.  The NCJP was reacting to Wednesday’s terror attack in a bus carrying Ismaili Shias in Karachi, in which 47 people were killed.  The attack has been claimed by an Islamic State group.  Catholic organizations in Sindh province announced three days of mourning, to express solidarity with the victims.  Fr Nasir John, a priest in Karachi, condemned the incident saying Catholics stood by the Ismaili community. “This is an attack on the integrity of Pakistan. No one is safe in Pakistan; anyone can kill. It is time for the nation to take seriously the issue of security," he said. 

Prince Karim Aga Khan, spiritual Leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims said, “This attack represents a senseless act of violence against a peaceful community. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and the families of those killed and wounded in the attack.”   The leaders of the Ismaili Shias and Hazara communities expressed "deep shock" over what happened. Pakistan held a day of national mourning on Thursday, while at the Al Azhar Garden Jamaat Khana – an Ismaili Shrine in Karachi – a mass funeral was held for the victims.  At present, 150,000 Ismailis live in Pakistan, most of them in the port city of Karachi.