Iranian parliament condemns massacres of Shias in Pakistan

TEHRAN,March 11(MNA) – Two hundred and thirty four Iranian MPs issued a statement on Sunday condemning the recent bloody massacres of Shias in Pakistan. Violence against Shia Muslims has escalated in various parts of Pakistan over the past few months. Since the beginning of 2012, hundreds of Shias have been killed in the country. In the latest terrorist bombing targeting Shias, a suicide bomber attacked Shia Muslims as they were leaving a mosque in the Pakistani city of Karachi on March 3, killing at least 45 people. Shias make up about 20 percent of Pakistan’s population of over 190 million. The statement said that the savage killing of the oppressed Shias in Pakistan was undoubtedly a plot designed by the enemies of Islam led by the United States, Britain, and their friends in the region. “The silence of international organizations and the countries that are the self-proclaimed advocates of human rights about this blatant violation of human rights illustrates the bitter reality that today, the issue of human rights has become a political tool for major powers, especially the United States,” the statement said. The lawmakers also expressed sympathy with the families of the victims of the recent wave of violence against Shias and urged the Pakistani government and the intelligence agencies of the country to make every effort to deal with the anti-human plot that was meant to undermine the country’s security. On Saturday, a large number of Iranian clerics and seminary teachers and students staged a demonstration in Tehran to protest against the recent terrorist attacks against Shias in Pakistan. The demonstrators called on the relevant international organizations to take the measures necessary to end violence against Shia Muslims in Pakistan.