QUETTA, Pakistan: Thousands of Pakistani Shiites refused for a second day Monday to bury victims of a devastating bomb attack on their community, demanding protection against record levels of sectarian violence.
Demonstrators poured onto the streets across the country, shutting down the largest city Karachi and closing the road from the capital to Islamabad airport, in angry protest at Saturday’s bombing that killed at least 89 people in Quetta.
Thousands of mostly women, but also men and children, blocked a road in the southwestern city, vowing to continue their sit-in until the authorities take action against the extremists behind the attack which also wounded more than 200 people.
Two girls aged seven and nine were among the dead after the bomb, nearly a ton of explosives hidden in a water tanker, tore through a crowded market in a neighborhood dominated by ethnic Hazara Shiite Muslims.
On Monday, the home secretary of southwestern Baluchistan province, Akbar Hussain Durrani said the death toll from Saturday’s bomb had risen to 89, including 33 Afghans, with 204 other people wounded.
“We have certain clues about terrorists involved in past attacks and targeted killings which I cannot disclose at the moment but we are working on them,” Durrani told a news conference.
Last month suicide bombers killed 92 people at a snooker hall in another Hazara neighborhood of Quetta. Protesters are furious at the authorities’ failure to tackle rising attacks on Shiites.
Volunteers armed with automatic rifles and pistols Monday guarded the streets of Hazara Town, the scene of Saturday’s attack, an AFP reporter saw.
It is customary for Muslims to bury the dead as soon as possible and police said they were in talks to end the protest, which has proved a powerful gesture before.
After the January 10 snooker hall attack, Shiites staged a similar protest for four days. They only buried the dead after Islamabad sacked the provincial government and imposed governor’s rule in an apparent attempt to improve security.
The banned militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) claimed responsibility both for Saturday’s attack and the snooker hall bombing, as well as a February 1 attack on a Shiite mosque in northwest Pakistan that killed 24.
There is anger and frustration at the apparent inability or unwillingness of the authorities to tackle the LeJ.
In Quetta Amin Shaheedi, the vice-president of the Shiite Wahdatul Muslemeen party, demanded control of the city be handed over to the army.
“Terrorists are roaming freely and we are not given any protection. Our protest will continue until we get protection,” he told reporters.
Violence between Pakistan’s majority Sunni Muslims and Shiites, who account for around a fifth of the country’s 180 million people, has surged in recent years, with the southwestern province of Baluchistan a particular flashpoint.
Pakistan’s biggest city and commercial heart Karachi came to a halt as public transport workers and traders stopped work Monday after a Shiite party called a protest strike, residents said.
Schools were closed, traffic was off the roads and attendance in offices was thin. Several political and religious parties have backed the strike call.
Protesters on the edge of the capital Islamabad also shut down the main road leading to the airport, witnesses told AFP.
In the second largest city Lahore, hundreds of Shiites demonstrated to press demands for military action against extremists in Quetta.
Attacks targeting Shiites in Pakistan have claimed almost 200 lives already this year, compared with more than 400 in the whole of 2012 — a year which Human Rights Watch described as the deadliest on record for Shiites.
Pakistan is due to hold a general election in coming months but there are fears that rising sectarian and Islamist violence could force the postponement of polls.
In the northwest, suicide bombers stormed the offices of a top Pakistani official Monday and killed five people.
Mutahir Zeb, the government’s representative in the semi-autonomous tribal district of Khyber, was unhurt. But his deputy was seriously wounded.
Pakistan blast victims refuse to bury dead, demand protection
Pakistan blast victims refuse to bury dead, demand protection
The secret keepers of desert balance in Saudi Arabia
- How the Kingdom’s wildcats control pests, protect public health, and sustain the ecosystem
Did you know:
Sand cats are the only cat species with hair on the soles of their feet, allowing them to walk on hot sand without sinking.
Caracals, locally known as Al-Washaq, are native and endangered, capable of jumping 3 to 4 meters in a single leap.
Pure populations of the Arabian wildcat are at risk due to hybridization with domestic cats.
Haifa Alshammari
RIYADH: During the summer of 2024, two desert lynx kittens were born in Taif as part of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to protect and increase the population of caracals in the country.
Although caracals are critically endangered, wildcats in general play a significant ecological role in the Kingdom. They act as natural pest control, and Saudi Arabia is committed to conserving these species while increasing their populations to support a thriving ecosystem.
Despite the Kingdom’s harsh, arid climate, conditions are suitable for wildcats not only to survive but also to flourish. Among the terrestrial species inhabiting Saudi Arabia are sand cats, Arabian wildcats, and the desert lynx.
Felis margarita, or sand cats, are small — around 40-60 cm — with pale sandy fur that allows them to blend into the desert. They have a broad head, large ears, and long hair on the bottom of their feet to walk on hot sand.
“It is small in size and does not mate with other cats. It is the only cat species in the world with hair on the soles of its feet instead of skin to prevent it from sinking into the sand,” said Obaid Alouni, a Saudi environmentalist.
Alouni explained that one defensive technique sand cats use is to lie flat on the ground to avoid detection.
“It lies flat on the ground when it senses danger to avoid being noticed by other animals.”
These cats primarily feed on rodents and small reptiles, occasionally large insects, obtaining their water from their prey. Sand cats are native to West Asia and help regulate rodent and insect populations, preventing outbreaks and reducing disease spread.
Interestingly, raising sand cats as domestic pets is becoming more popular, Alouni said. But he emphasized that adoption is easier when they are kittens, as they remain wild animals. Although widely distributed across the Kingdom, exact population numbers are difficult to determine due to their elusive nature. They are currently listed as “least concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Similar to sand cats, Arabian wildcats (Felis lybica) are found across the Arabian Peninsula and play a vital role in environmental health.
“They are wild cats that live independently without human intervention,” Alouni told Arab News.
Arabian wildcats resemble domestic cats but have thicker, sandy to grey-brown coats with faint stripes or spots and ringed tails with blunt tips. Like sand cats, they feed on rodents, birds, reptiles, and insects and are listed as “least concern” by the IUCN.
However, Alouni warned that pure populations of Arabian wildcats in Saudi Arabia could be threatened by hybridization with domestic cats.
“Currently, wild cats face the problem of interbreeding with domestic cats. This weakens their immune systems and makes them more susceptible to diseases from other cats,” he said.
“This contributes to the extinction of the purebred lineage and, consequently, the disappearance of their wild instincts,” he added.
While both species are desert dwellers, sand cats are harder to spot as they avoid heavily trafficked areas. They are mainly found in the Ad Dahna desert and the Empty Quarter, where sand dunes dominate the landscape. Arabian wildcats, however, inhabit rocky or mountainous areas such as the Tuwaiq Mountains, valleys, and farms with abundant small prey.
“Wild cats come around towns and villages, and unfortunately, begin mating with domesticated cats that people release outside,” Alouni explained. He stressed the importance of keeping domestic cats away from wildcat habitats, including deserts and camping sites.
The third wildcat species native to Saudi Arabia, the caracal or desert lynx, is critically endangered. “The lynx is classified in size between large and small, and is distinguished by its jump, which can reach 3 meters or even 4 meters in the sky,” Alouni described.
Locally known as Al-Washaq, desert lynx have reddish-tan coats, long legs, and black-tufted ears. They feed on birds, rodents, and sometimes small antelopes. Thankfully, these cats are protected under Saudi law due to their critically endangered status.
Hunting any sand cats, Arabian wildcats, or desert lynx can result in fines of approximately $20,000, according to the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture.
“There is a very severe financial penalty in Saudi Arabia for anyone who hunts it,” Alouni added.
The Kingdom has strict regulations to protect endangered animals, criminalizing not only hunting or killing but also trade. Violators could face penalties of up to $8 million, up to 10 years in prison, or both.
Overall, sand cats, Al-Washaq, and Arabian wildcats are essential to maintaining a healthy environment in Saudi Arabia. By controlling rodent populations, they help prevent outbreaks that could threaten agriculture and public health.
