On 15 January 2012, a remote-controlled bomb exploded during a Shi'a Muslim Chehlum procession in the Khanpur tehsil of Rahim Yar Khan district, in the southern Punjab province of Pakistan. The procession was being held to mourn and commemorate the martyrdom of Hussein bin Ali. The bomb had reportedly been planted beforehand near an electricity pylon and detonated as mourners approached a gathering square. Eighteen people were killed and dozens more were injured, some critically.
According to an eyewitness account, a loud explosion was heard, followed by debris and a cloud of dust. Many of the dead were killed instantly by the blast. In the aftermath, angry mourners turned violent and confronted police forces stationed near the site, demanding that those responsible be arrested. When police were unable to control the situation, paramilitary rangers were called in to assist.
The injured were transported to local medical facilities, including the Shaikh Zayed Medical College Hospital, for treatment. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif announced compensation of Rs. 500,000 for the family of each person killed and Rs. 100,000 for each person injured in the attack.
No group claimed responsibility for the bombing. However, available reporting focused suspicion on Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a group that had carried out multiple sectarian attacks in Pakistan previously. As of the available reporting, no individuals have been publicly named as charged or convicted in connection with the attack.
The bombing drew condemnation from senior Pakistani officials, including President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani, and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. Human rights advocate Ansar Burney also condemned the attack and expressed grief over the loss of life. Leaders within the Shi'a community, including representatives of the Shia Ulema Council, criticized the government for what they characterized as negligence in providing security for the procession. The Imamia Students Organisation likewise condemned the bombing. In response to the incident, a local police deputy superintendent was suspended from duty, and Federal Minister of Interior Rehman Malik called for the formation of a committee to investigate the attack.
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