| 2016 Lahore suicide bombing | |
|---|---|
| Part of theWar in North-West Pakistan | |
 A photograph of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park. The bomb was detonated by the park's main gateway(not pictured). | |
  Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park  Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park  Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park | |
| Location | 31°30′59″N74°17′25″E / 31.51625°N 74.29032°E /31.51625; 74.29032 Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park,Lahore,Punjab,Pakistan |
| Date | 27 March 2016 18:30 (UTC+05:00) |
| Target | Pakistani Christians |
Attack type | Suicide bombing[1] |
| Weapons | Explosive belt |
| Deaths | 75 (including 29 children)[2][3][4] |
| Injured | 340 |
| Victims | Visitors of the park on the Easter weekend |
| Perpetrators | Jamaat-ul-Ahrar |
On 27 March 2016, on Easter Sunday, at least 75 people were killed (29 fatalities being children), and over 340 were injured, in asuicide bombing that hit the main entrance ofGulshan-e-Iqbal Park, one of the largest parks inLahore,Pakistan.[3][5][6][7] The attack targetedChristians who were celebratingEaster.[8][9][10][4] The majority of the victims were women and children.Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a group affiliated with thePakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack.[11] The attack led to worldwide condemnation andnational mourning throughout Pakistan. Pakistan also launched a widespreadcounter-terrorism operation inSouth Punjab, arresting more than 200 people who may have had a possible connection to the attack.[12]
The Pakistani Taliban operates as anumbrella organization for variousIslamist militant groups in Pakistan. These extremist groups have frequently attacked Christians, who make up 2% of Pakistan's population.[13][14] Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, the perpetrator of the current attack, and once a breakaway organization that reunited in March 2015,[14][15][16] have declared their intention to carry out more attacks in the future.[13]
The bombing took place at 18:30; aRescue 1122 spokesman stated that they received an emergency call around 18:44, and 23 ambulances were sent to the location.[17] The perpetrator used anexplosives-packed vest.[1] More than 40 bodies arrived atJinnah Hospital.[18] A shortage of ambulances forced taxis andrickshaws to transport the injured.[18] Responsibility was claimed by the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a group affiliated with the Pakistani Taliban, that had previously been responsible for bombings at two Lahore churches on 15 March 2015.[19][20] A statement by Jamaat-ul-Ahrar spokesmanEhsanullah Ehsan said the attack was directed at Christians.[11]
Witnesses reported that the blast occurred at the entrance of the park. There were Christians in the park due toEaster, although there was no Easter celebration or ceremony in the park. The front entrances were crowded with people, including children. Witnesses reported that "children body parts" were flying in every direction. Due to the blast force, several bodies were flung into the air. The blast could be heard many kilometers away. Local residents reported that the noise was deafening. Shortly afterward,panic ensued, as people began screaming andrunning. A witness said:[21]
"It was so crowded that there was even no way of entering it. We went to a canteen to have something to eat when there was suddenly a big blast. Everyone panicked, running to all directions. Many of them were blocked at the gate of the park. Dead bodies can be found everywhere".[21]
After the attack, citizens rushed to hospitals in response to urgent requests forblood donations. On-demand cab service,Careem, offered free rides to the hospital for blood donors, while activists also usedsocial media to coordinate relief efforts, including donating blood, food, and cash.[22] Half of the more than 300 victims were taken to Jinnah Hospital in Lahore on Sunday night. 67 remained in the hospital with various injuries, such as burns and shrapnel wounds, doctors said.[23]Prime MinisterNawaz Sharif held a meeting in response to the bombing. Pakistan's army chief, GeneralRaheel Sharif, also convened an emergency meeting of the country's intelligence agencies to begin to track down those responsible for the attacks. On 28 March, Prime Minister Sharif directed law enforcement agencies to step up counter-terror operations against terrorists and theirabettors in southern Punjab. The prime minister issued these orders to the LEAs while chairing a high-level meeting at the Chief Minister House in Lahore, to review the attack and overall strategy against terrorists. He later said his government goal was to "eliminate terror infrastructure from Pakistan, but also theextremist mindset, which is a threat to our way of life".[24]
The chairman of thePakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party,Imran Khan, visited the victims of the blast inJinnah Hospital. He later told the media that the current government needs to implement a National Action Plan and develop a consensus to go after terrorists in whichever province they are seeking refuge. He added that Pakistan's Government had failed to provide security to Pakistani people and that it must revisit its priorities. He later condemned the attack by saying: "It is strictly against the teachings of our Holy Prophet (Muhammad), and the basic principles ofIslam."[24]
On 28 March, in Punjab, several suspected terrorists were arrested, along with firearms with full ammo recovered in different parts of Lahore,Faisalabad, andMultan. Since the night of 27 March, the army had conducted a military operation for capturing the terrorists involved.[24]Al Jazeera noted that the bombing "underscored" both the "precarious position" of Pakistan's minorities, and the fact that the fighters from armed groups "are still capable of staging wide-scale assaults despite the months-long military offensive targeting their hideouts and safe havens in remote tribal areas".[25] On 29 March, Pakistani authorities conducted a counter-terror operation, with more than 5,000 questioned, and more than 200 suspects detained.[26] Anonymous government and security sources toldReuters that a decision has been made to launch a full-scale crackdown on Islamist militants in Punjab, which may involve theparamilitaryRangers, who have been operating inKarachi for the last two years.[27]
President of Pakistan,Mamnoon Hussain; Governor ofPunjab,Malik Muhammad Rafique Rajwana; and Chief Minister of Punjab,[28]Mian Shahbaz Sharif, condemned the attack and announced three days of mourning.[5] Business leaders announced that all shopping malls,bazaars, and markets in Lahore would be closed on 28 March, the day following the bombing.[29] Several news agencies in Pakistan, such as theExpress Tribune, changed their websites to display everything only ingreyscale.[30][28]
ThePakistan Army said it would begin military operations across Punjab in response to the bombings; targeting militants, their facilitators, and their hideouts.[31]United Nations Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon condemned the attack and called forIslamabad to protectreligious minorities.[32] The bombing was condemned, and condolences were offered by the leaders and spokespeople of many countries,[33] as well as by church leaders.
The victims and their relatives expressed concern about the lack of security and protection.[34][35]
The British Pakistan Christian Association, chaired by Wilson Chowdhry, condemned the 2016 Lahore suicide bombing, and appealed to theGovernment of India to "open its doors and provide safe heaven [sic] to Christians of Pakistan before they themselves start migrating in distress towards India for safety".[36]
