Pakistani Shiites press on with sit-in against twin bombings

PARACHINAR, Pakistan – Thousands of Pakistani Shiites are pressing on with their sit-in, now in its sixth consecutive day, in a northwestern tribal region where twin bombings at a market killed 75 people last week.

The daily protests began shortly after Friday’s attacks in Parachinar, a majority Shiite town, which has been targeted by Sunni militants group several times in recent years.

Sajid Toori, a lawmaker from Parachinar, said on Thursday that their protest will continue until Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government announces greater compensation and additional security measures for the Shiites who dominate in the Kurram tribal region.

He says the protesters are spending their days and nights out in the open in summer rains.

Toori demanded action against Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a sectarian Sunni extremist group, which has claimed responsibility for the bombings.