Three Shias killed in Pakistani Punjab

Lahore: Unidentified gunmen on Saturday shot dead three Shias, including an imam, in two separate attacks in Pakistan`s Punjab province, triggering protests by members of the minority community.

Police said the gunmen targeted imambargahs at Shahrukh Colony and Mominpura in Gujranwala district. In one of the incidents, the prayer leader of an imambargah in Shahrukh Colony was killed. Two worshippers were killed at another imambargah in Mominpura. Unidentified men drove up to the prayer halls on motorcycles and started firing, resulting in the casualties. Enraged relatives of the victims protested by placing their bodies on a street near Ali Chowk. The attacks came on the fourth day of the Islamic holy month of Muharram, which has often been marred by sectarian violence in recent years. The Punjab government has put in place a slew of measures to maintain security. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the attacks targeting imambargahs. He conveyed his sympathies to the bereaved families, an official statement said.