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DATE=1/5/99 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-243775 TITLE=PAKISTAN KILLING (L) BYLINE=SCOTT ANGER DATELINE=ISLAMABAD CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: PAKISTANI AUTHORITIES SAY THEY ARE SEARCHING FOR THE GUNMEN WHO OPENED FIRE INTO A MOSQUE MONDAY, KILLING 16 PEOPLE. AS SCOTT ANGER REPORTS, SECURITY HAS BEEN STEPPED UP IN THE PROVINCE WHERE THE SHOOTING TOOK PLACE, AS FAMILY MEMBERS BURY THE VICTIMS. TEXT: MOST OF THE VICTIMS FROM MONDAY'S SHOOTING HAVE BEEN BURIED NEAR THE MOSQUE AT KARAM-DAD QUERESHI, NEAR THE CITY OF MULTAN, WHERE THE ATTACK TOOK PLACE. THE VICTIMS, ALL SHIITE MUSLIMS, WERE GUNNED DOWN AS THEY FINISHED MORNING PRAYERS MARKING THE BEGINNING OF THEIR DAY-LONG FAST DURING THE HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN. NO ONE HAS CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE KILLINGS AND NO ARRESTS HAVE BEEN MADE. BUT PUNJAB POLICE OFFICIAL NAZIR AHMAD SAYS SECURITY HAS BEEN INCREASED AT AREA MOSQUES, AS A FULL INVESTIGATION GETS UNDER WAY. ///AHMAD ACT/// WE ARE TRYING OUR BEST TO ARREST THEM BUT, SO FAR, NO ONE HAS BEEN CHASED OUT. NOBODY KNOWS WHO DID THE SHOOTING. THEIR NAMES ARE NOT KNOWN -- THEY ARE UNIDENTIFIED PERSONS. ///END ACT/// ALTHOUGH POLICE DO NOT KNOW WHO DID THE SHOOTING, THEY FEAR THE ATTACK IS PART OF ONGOING SECTARIAN VIOLENCE BETWEEN RIVAL SHIITE AND SUNNI MUSLIM GROUPS. VIOLENCE BETWEEN MILITANT SECTIONS OF BOTH GROUPS HAS CLAIMED HUNDRED OF LIVES DURING THE PAST TWO YEARS. SHIITES ARE A MINORITY IN THE MOSTLY SUNNI MUSLIM PAKISTAN. SHIITE PARTY LEADERS, SUCH AS SYED MOHAMMED TAQI, FEEL THE GOVERNMENT HAS NOT DONE ENOUGH TO CONTROL THE VIOLENCE. /// TAQI ACT IN URDU - HOLD AND FADE /// MR. TAQI SAYS THE PAKISTANI GOVERNMENT'S POLICIES ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN PEACE. PRIME MINISTER NAWAZ SHARIF HAS STRONGLY CONDEMNED THE KILLINGS AND VOWED TO FIGHT THE ONGOING VIOLENCE. HE ESCAPED AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SUNDAY NEAR THE PUNJAB CAPITAL, LAHORE, WHEN A BOMB DESTROYED A BRIDGE HE WAS SCHEDULED TO CROSS -- KILLING THREE PEOPLE. (SIGNED) NEB/SA/GE 05-Jan-99 8:07 AM EST (1307 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .