Sunni volunteers protect Pakistan Shia mourners during Muharram

The development is seen as a major step towards bridging the sectarian divide in a region which has been plagued by sectarian violence in the recent years.“This is what we should do and we will do,” says Shah Raees, a resident of Pakistan’s Gilgit area.

“We will be there to guard our brethren so that they can perform their rituals peacefully,” Raees added. He was speaking at a Muharram security meeting which was also attended by Shia elders and police officials.