Members of Chakwal Welfare Association (CWA) in the Kingdom expressed grief on Sunday at the killing of 27 persons in a suicide attack in Chakwal city in Pakistan's Punjab province. CWA members emphasized the need to crush the conspiracy theories which are dividing Pakistani Muslims and spreading chaos in the country. “It was a depressing incident and basically was carried out in order to create chaos on a sectarian issue. Unfortunately, many of our friends and relatives are among the victims, and we are still calling to ask about their condition,” said Malik Muhiuddin, Chairman of Chakwal Welfare Association (CWA) in Jeddah. He said that Chakwal was a peaceful district and that Islamic scholars in the district have made it clear that the incident had nothing to do with sectarianism. “These people can attack any special gathering anywhere in the country,” he explained. The suicide attack in Chakwal occurred a day ahead of the scheduled arrival of US Special Representative Richard C. Holbrooke. A deadly suicide attack in the country's capital Islamabad took place a day earlier killing eight paramilitary troops. “The Al-Qaeda linked Taleban have done it and the dilemma is that our leaders are not able to control them,” said Engr. Mirza Gulnar Baig, a member of CWA who is a maintenance and service manager of an Arabic daily. “There were no sectarian fights after the 1970s in our town, and people are convinced that this is a conspiracy to terrorize and divide everyone,” he said. Taleban and sectarian violence in Pakistan are becoming increasingly interlinked and violence claimed by the Taleban has surged in Pakistan in the last two years, with numerous attacks on security forces and government and Western targets. The suicide bomber, said to be no more than a 14-or 15-year-old boy, blew himself up after being challenged by security guards at the gate of a mosque where over a thousand people were gathered for an annual majlis. Baig said that the government did not provide enough security. “If the bomber had gained entry into the premises, he would have ended up killing many more people.” As Shiites are often targets of violence, the mosque had made its own security arrangements, although this area of well-to-do farmers, about 100 km south of the capital on the way to Lahore has largely been a nonviolent place. “All of Pakistan is experiencing the same disastrous scenario nowadays,” lamented Zamarud Khan, a member of CWA. “May Allah help Pakistan and give power and confidence to our leaders to tackle American interests and the Taleban menace as there are more threats ahead,” he said.
