Explosion At Pakistani Shrine Kills At Least Eight, Officials Say

At least eight people died and dozens were injured on Thursday when two blasts hit a major religious shrine in the Pakistani port city of Karachi, according to the interior minister of Sindh.
 
Zulfiqar Ali Mirza stated that suicide bombing was carried out at the shrine of a well-regarded Sufi saint, Abdullah Shah Ghazi, and ordered to close down all shrines in Karachi until further instructions are given. The city of Karachi is located in the southern province of Sindh.

Saghir Ahmed, the health minister of Sindh, said that the dead and injured were taken to hospitals and around 60 people are receiving treatment for injuries. According to local authorities, rescue teams are searching through human remains at the scene of the blast.

The attack was condemned by country's president Asif Ali Zardari. A statement issued from the president's office said, "The relentless attacks on ordinary Pakistani citizens by those who want to impose an extremist mindset and lifestyle upon our country will not deter our government and the Pakistan Peoples Party. We remain committed to fighting these murderers and expelling them from our land".

The bombing took place on Thursday night, the most crowded time at shrines as it is the eve of Friday prayers. The residents of Karachi visit shrines to offer their prayers.

Thursday night is also when food is given out free of cost to the poor, which is one of the most important principles of Islam.