Declan Walsh in Islamabad reporting for the Guardian

At least 42 killed and 175 injured in blasts at Sufi shrine in Lahore where thousands had gathered to pray

Suicide bombers devastated one of Pakistan’s most famous Sufi shrines last night, marking another vicious strike by violent extremists against the moderate form of Islam practised by most Pakistanis.


It was the second assault on a religious site in the city in recent months â€“ an assault on members of the minority Ahmadi sect in late May killed 94 people â€“ and underscored how extremists are determined to bring their bloody campaign to the heart of Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous and powerful province.






Investigators said they had recovered the heads of both suicide bombers, but there was no claim of responsibility. The Lahore commissioner, Khusro Pervaiz, blamed the attack on a “conspiracy in which locals are being used” â€“ a euphemism often used to point the finger at neighbouring India.

Some Lahore residents blamed the attacks on the US, saying its drone attacks in the frontier were provoking militants, while others suggested the Ahmadi community â€“ which has no history of organised violence â€“ was taking revenge.



The task of “draining the swamp” is further complicated by the powerful intelligence agencies of the military, which has continued its policy of distinguishing between “good” and “bad” jihadi groups â€“ a policy that analysts warn is dangerously destabilising.


The glittering Data Ganj Baksh shrine is among Lahore’s most famous and revered landmarks. It is devoted to Hazrat Usman Hajwery, a 12th century mystic popularly considered to be the spiritual protector of the city.

The shrine is busiest on Thursday nights when worshippers come to pray, listen to qawalli devotional music and, in some cases, smoke hashish â€“ which, presumably, is why extremists struck last night.


“This is a barbaric attack and should serve as a wake up call,” wrote Raza Rumi, a prominent Lahore blogger. “Data Saheb’s shrine is not just another crowded place â€“ it represents a millennia of tolerant Sufi Islam which is directly under attack by the puritans.”

