ASSEMBLY POLL '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS '98
ARCHIVES

Sunni body puts price on Nawaz Sharief's head

An extremist Sunni organisation has announced a reward totaling Pakistani Rs 135 million for the head of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief, his younger brother and chief minister of Punjab, Shahbaz Sharief and Information Minister Mushahid Hussain.

This has been reported by a London-based bilingual newspaper, Nation, quoting a press release of Lashkar-e-jhangvi, an offshoot of Sipah-e-Sahaba, an organisation that has been spearheading a violent campaign against Shiites in Pakistan.

The press release, issued by Lashkar's chief Riaz Basra, says the Sharief government has been committing excess on the members of his organisation.

The police suspect that this organisation was behind the failed attempt on Nawaz Sharief's life on January 4 this year. A bomb had exploded on a bridge connecting Lahore with Raiwind just before Sharief was to cross it to reach his family house.

Three people were killed in the blast.

Subsequently a number of Lashkar's activists were arrested.

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi was set up by Basra after he protested against the emerging moderation in the attitude of Sipah- e-Sahaba towards Shiites. The Sipah-e-Sahaba had joined the Milli Yekjehti Council which was formed to make peace among different sects.

Since early 1997, the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has been behind many incidents of sectarian violence in Punjab.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report