Incident-free Muharram in Pak.

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, APRIL 5. The annual day of mourning, Muharram, passed off without any major incident or tension barring minor ones in Sindh province till this evening in Pakistan.

The day commemorates the martyrdom of Prophet Mohammed's grandson, Hazrat Imam Hussain, killed in the battle of Karbala over 1400 years ago.

Authorities in the four provinces of Pakistan had taken extraordinary security measures in view of the heightened tension between Shias and Sunnis weeks before the observance of Muharram.

The army staged flag marches in some of the major towns and potential trouble spots including Lahore to ensure that Muharram should not become an occasion for the militant groups of the rival sects to settle their scores.

Authorities in Pakistan have been particularly apprehensive on the law and order front in view of the sectarian violence witnessed in different parts of the country after the execution of a Shia sect leader accused in the murder of an Iranian diplomat.

Reports from various parts indicated that the authorities had rounded up hundreds of activists from the extremist religious groups of both the sects as a precautionary measure.

Growing sectarian trouble has been one of the major concerns of the Musharraf Government in recent weeks. The military government is planning a series of steps including a ban on some of the extremist groups to contain the sectarian violence.

The concern was evident from the traditional Muharram eve message of the Chief Executive and the military ruler, Gen. Pervez Musharraf and the Pakistan President, Mr. Rafiq Tarar.

In separate messages they impressed upon the nation to forget internal differences and rise above sectarianism to create an atmosphere conducive for promoting brotherhood and devote themselves for the progress of the nation and Islam.

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Section  : International
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