DEFIANCE

Pakistanis Protest With Coffins

Holding loved ones killed by the government.

More than 3,500 Pakistani Shiites flooded the streets of a southwestern city for a second day on Saturday, this time with a new protest technique: blocking the roads with around 50 coffins of relatives killed in recent explosions. The unconventional protest also marks a break with Islamic custom, which dictates that the dead be buried as soon as possible. In refusing to bury their dead, the protestors hope to make a statement to the government about its lack of protection following the twin bombings of a billiards hall on Thursday that left 86 dead. “My son went to a billiards hall to play, but now I am sitting with his body here,” said Begum Dilawar Shah. “I want to know what was the fault of my son and who killed him and why?”