Bonus Read: “A Crisis for Minorities in Pakistan,” by Rozina Ali (New Yorker)
Pakistan detains more than 5,000 in wake of Lahore bombing
Pakistan has detained more than 5,000 people in the wake of the bombing that killed 72 people in Lahore on Easter Sunday, according to a report by Reuters on Tuesday (Reuters). Rana Sanaullah, a state minister for Punjab province, stated: “5,221 people have initially been detained. 5,005 have been released after verifying their identities, and 216 people have been referred for further investigation.” Army Spokesman Gen. Asim Bajwa commented, “operations are ongoing, intelligence agencies and Rangers and army troops are carrying out operations.”
On Tuesday, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JUA), the group behind the Lahore bombing threatened further violence in Pakistan (WSJ). The militant group’s spokesman, Ehsanullah Ehsan, tweeted: “Let Nawaz Sharif know that this war has now reached the doorstep of his home.” The group also released a photo of a man it claims to be the suicide bomber.