SHEIKHUPURA: Twelve persons, including two constables, were gunned down and six others injured in four different acts of terrorism here on Sunday morning. In the first incident which occurred in Main Bazar at 9:35 am, six masked assailants riding two motorcycles opened indiscriminate fire on a shopkeeper, Syed Kazim Shah, killing him instantly and injuring a passer-by Mushtaq. The injured was later removed to Lahore owing to his precarious condition.

The second incident took place in Eidgah graveyard near Karbala Mohalla on Jandial Road where the same masked men, after scaling the boundary wall of the graveyard, opened fire on a gathering in the courtyard, killing seven people on the spot.

After killing in the graveyard, the same terrorists came on Railway Road near Ghalla Mandi where people were busy in Eid-ul-Azha shopping. The terrorists fired at the crowd, killing two persons -- Zulfiqar alias Bhutto and Zamir Hussain -- on the spot and injuring three passers-by Shabir, Taj Din and Ghulam Rasool. They were removed to local DHQ Hospital. Shabir was later shifted to Lahore in a precarious condition.

The fourth incident took place on Hafizabad Road near Mirza Virkan where two police constables of Rescue-15 were shot dead by the same terrorists. The constables -- Abdul Ghafoor, and Munir -- following the information of the incident started chasing the terrorists. On reaching near Mirza Virkan, the fleeing terrorists fired at the chasing cops. After exchange of fire for a short time the constables were killed.

Meanwhile, heavy contingent of police reached the spot and besieged the killers. According to an official report two alleged terrorists were arrested near Mirza Virkan, while four others are still at large. Fear and tension gripped the city with angry mobs blocking the Lahore-Sargodha road and burning tyres to show their anger. Business centres in the city were closed. Clashes between police and angry mobs were also reported from many areas.

A religious leader, Dilshad Ali Shah, said the local administration had failed to maintain law and order in the city. If the killers were not arrested soon a countrywide protest move would be launched, he warned. Security has been beefed up in and around the city. Law enforcing agencies have started patrolling sensitive areas.

The religious circle of the city termed the incident sectarian violence, saying it seemed to be a reaction to the hanging of Sheikh Haq Nawaz Jhangvi. Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) activists in the city denied their involvement in the incident. "We strongly condemn the killing," Zahid Mahmood Qasmi, SSP chairman, told a foreign news agency in a telephone interview. "We have nothing to do with these attacks,'' he added.

A large number of relatives and friends of the killed or injured persons tried to attack city magistrate SD Khalid in a local DHQ Hospital. The magistrate sneaked into a nearby room of the hospital to save his life. People also misbehaved with ASP Dr Waqar Abbasi when he reached the spot where the killings took place. Many people did not believe police claims that the two killers had been nabbed.

"The terrorists targeted a particular sect and sprayed bullets all around before fleeing the scene," Lahore Police Deputy Inspector General Javed Noor told AFP, adding that seven persons had died and two other were badly injured. He said: "They also killed two policemen who mounted a chase but we managed to arrest three suspects later on." He said security had been tightened across Punjab and armed police contingents had been moved to guard the Iranian Cultural Centre in Lahore. Armed men of the aggrieved sect quickly took to the streets following the attacks, police said. "We have put up special pickets at all exit points and intensified police patrolling," Noor said.

Residents of Sheikhupura said tension was high after the killings and any tiny incident could spark bloody clashes. "We will not sit quiet now waiting to be killed by the extremists. We have had enough of it," said a religious group leader Sibtain Raza. "We have told the police that terrorists are hiding in Pakistan and operating from Afghanistan but the government has failed to do anything."

DIG Noor blamed members of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi for carrying out the attacks in response to last week's execution of Haq Nawaz for the 1990 murder of an Iranian diplomat. Sheikhupura Deputy Commissioner Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera said 11 persons were killed and four others injured in two firing incidents here Sunday. Those killed have been identified as Syed Kazim Shah, Baba Sardar, Akram Khan (WAPDA employee), Baba Abdullah, Taaha Khan, Arif Butt, Baba Ghafoor Malang, Tariq Arian, Zameer Hussain Shah and police constables Ghafoor and Ishtiaq.

Brig Khalid Nazir, Lahore Commissioner Shahid Najam and DIG Lahore Javed Noor reached the city immediately after the incident. The police and district administration have sealed all the outlets of the town and deployed heavy contingents of police at different public places.

Unruly demonstrators launched abortive attempts on the lives of the deputy commissioner, the city magistrate and the ASP after the shooting incident. However, they escaped unhurt while the demonstrators beat up a jawan of the Frontier Constabulary.

Deputy Commissioner Ahmed Nawaz Sukhera was moving among the demonstrators in his jeep when someone from the crowd shouted to kill him. The demonstrators pointed guns towards the deputy commissioner. In the meantime personnel of Elite Force came to his rescue and he was whisked away unhurt.

In another incident a jawan of the Frontier Constabulary caught two youth along with arms near Company Bagh. The youth shouted for help. Their friends came and beat up the jawan. On this occasion the city ASP along with personnel of Elite Force had to flee. Meanwhile, Tehrik-e-Jafria Pakistan (TJP) has announced a three-day mourning against the killings. Punjab TJP president Syed Sibtain Kazmi said demonstrations would be held in Punjab against the killings of innocent people from March 11. He said the growing incidents of sectarian terrorism had brought the country on the brink of a civil war.

The TJP leader described the Sheikhupura incident as open terrorism and alleged that terrorists were acting under the 'patronage' of the government. Tanveer Shah, a spokesman for TJP, blamed police for failing to prevent the attack despite ample warning following recent threats from extremist groups. "They are killing us all over Pakistan and the police and the government are just silent spectators," he alleged.

Sheikhupura Deputy Commissioner Ahmed Nawaz Sukhera told APP Sunday evening the police had apprehended two alleged terrorists involved in the killing. He added the arrested terrorists had been identified as Abdul Haq and Nasim and they were involved in a number of ghastly crimes of terrorism. Police search party detained the terrorists who were fleeing in a private car on Mirzan Wirkan Road.

Sukhera said: "Abdul Haq, who had a head money of Rs 5 lakh, is the most wanted terrorist involved in the brutal killing of SSP Gunjranwala Ashraf Marth." He said: "Nasim alias Wasim is also involved in a number of heinous crimes." The arrest of two terrorists could lead to more arrests, he added.

SHEIKHUPURA: Funerals of the victims of Sunday's attacks, including those of the two policemen, were held amid tight security in different city graveyards on Monday.

A complete strike was observed in the city and all the shopping centres and bazaars remained closed throughout the day. The traders' associations had earlier announced that they would observe strike till Thursday. The closure of bazaars and shops caused problems to the people on the eve of Eid-ul-Azha.

Speaking at a crowded press conference, after the funeral prayers of two victims, Kazam Shah and Zamir Haydri, held at a local Imambargah on Monday, TJP Punjab chief Sibtain Kazmi announced a countrywide agitation from March 11, against the prevailing lawlessness.

He also announced that TJP workers all over the country would observe a black day on Eid by wearing black bands on their arms. He said that a caravan of Shia activists would start from Jhelum on March 11. After passing through Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Wazirabad and Gujranwala cities it would reach Sheikhupura on the same day.

He said a strategy for the next stage of the agitation under the leadership of Allama Sajid Naqvi would be formed on the caravan's arrival in Sheikhupura. On March 16, Syed Sibtain Kazmi added, a rally would stage a sit-in before the Faisalabad commissioner office to protest against growing sectarian violence in the country.

Meanwhile, the two arrested terrorists have revealed the identity of four other gunmen involved in the terrorist acts in which 12 people were killed here on Sunday, local police said on Monday.

Police said during interrogation the two arrested accused confessed to the killing and revealed that four other terrorists namely Shakil alias Hansa, and Usman, both resident of Gujranwala, Wasim, resident of Lahore and Pathan also accompanied them and escaped after the incident. Three FIRs were registered with Saddar and 'B' Division police stations against the terrorists.

Abdul Haq, son of Muhammad Shafiq Rajput, resident of Murali, Gujranwala district, and Nasim, son of Nazir Ahmed, resident of tubewell No 4, Dera Hafizanwala, some 8 km away from here, were arrested Sunday near Mirza Virkan after they killed two constables who were chasing them.

Nasim is said to be a nephew of Hafiz Muhammad Ishfaq, a former Sipah-e-Sahaba district president who was gunned down in sectarian killing a few years ago. The police have impounded the motorcycle (LXL 3783) used by them.

It was also learnt from reliable sources that Abdul Haq and Nadim after gunning down the two constables Syed Ishtiaq and Abdul Ghafoor, were fleeing on the motorcycle when it collided with a donkey cart coming from the opposite side.

They fell on the ground after being badly injured in the accident. A large number of residents of Mirza Virkan village, who were witnessing the encounter, overpowered the terrorists and handed them over to police.