Church Remembers Karachi Blast Victims

(February 17, 2010) Hundreds of Catholics packed St. Jude’s Church in Karachi to pray for those who died in the recent bomb blasts in Pakistan’s commercial capital. Father Tariq Rehmat conducted the memorial Mass for six close relatives including his sister on February 15 at the church where he serves as assistant parish priest in Karachi. Marlene Basharat, his niece, who was severely injured in her right leg, also attended the service. Two bomb explosions on February 5^th left at least 33 people dead, including eight Christians and one Hindu and wounded scores of others. The first blast targeted a minibus transporting people to a religious procession. Within two hours, another explosion occurred in the parking area of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where the dead and injured from the first blast were being transported to. Police believe Saudi militant Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda group is involved. Thirteen year old Basharat, lost her mother in the blast at Jinnah hospital. The blast took place when they were waiting for their relatives in the parking area. Father Rehmat thanked the congregation for their support. “It is a big test for me and my family seeing six people dead. The experience is totally different from the usual funerals I had conducted as a parish priest,” he said.