Four people were killed and several others sustained injuries when a bomb ripped through a crowded imam bargah in Karachi’s Abbas Town on Sunday night. The blast took place just outside the gate of the facility, when a large number of Shia mourners had gathered for Muharram rituals.
The explosion was also followed by intermittent firing. The injured included five personnel of Pakistan Rangers deployed in the area for security purposes, with one said to be in critical condition.
Police said the bomb had been planted to motorcycle parked outside a shop near the front gate of the imam bargah.
The explosion also caused a high-tension electricity pole to fall, causing a blackout in the area and hampering rescue and evacuation activities. Per details, a Muharramul Haram congregation was underway in the imam bargah Mustapha when the bomb went off. Soon after the blast, rescue personnel rushed to the site and evacuated the injured and dead. Those critically injured were rushed to nearby hospitals, including Patel Hospital, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Agha Khan Hospital and Liaquat National Hospital.
At the crime scene, mourners resisted police and rangers’ attempts to go inside and investigate the matter. The people blame the law enforcement agencies of late response.
After the incident, a large number of people came on to the roads and staged a protest against the bombing. They also went on a rampage, damaging shops, vehicles and pelting stones on security vehicles. Three vehicles had been set ablaze by the time this report was filed.
Tension gripped various areas of the city, including Ancholi, Yousuf Plaza, Landhi, Korangi, Jaffer Tayar Society and others, while aerial firing was also reported in several areas.
Earlier, intelligence agencies had declared the area sensitive in their reports and law enforcement agencies had made security arrangement s for safety of the area.
Central Investigation Department SSP Chaudhry Aslam confirmed the bomb was an improvised explosive device (IED).
“A remote control device was used to detonate the improvised explosive device”, he added.
Chaudhry said the security measures had been foolproof and he would only comment further after initial investigation, adding that police was collecting evidence from the crime scene.
According to witnesses, the powerful explosion shattered the windowpanes of the nearby buildings. President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, PTI Chairman Imran Khan, ANP’s Shahi Syed, MQM chief Altaf Hussain, Sindh Governor Ishratul Ebad Khan and Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah condemned the blast. The president ordered and inquiry into the matter, while Interior Minister Rehman Malik sought a report on the incident from the Sindh IG. Sindh IGP Fayyaz Ahmed Leghari constituted a team of senior officers to investigate into the matter.
A spokesman said the investigation team would be headed by Additional IG Iqbal Mahmood and would include DIG East Shahid Hayat, DIG CIA Manzoor Mughal, CIA SPP Chaudhry Aslam, SIU SSP Farooq Awan and SSP Rao Anwar.
This is Pakistani murdering other Pakistanis!Not the Jews, or Israelites. You all extremist Muslims are alike, The P.R. of China'll invade your country soon, and get rid of all of you PRIMITIVES!.
what are you talking about …we are losing our people our muslims brothers and who said if any1 coming to us and killing Pakistanis they are pakistani too…we don't consider…even they are not muslims
and it doesn't mean if someone is killing pakistani people than the massacre in any country to any1 is right..no religion said this..being human being all are important ..if someone killing people in pakistan than they become extremist…strange..what jews are doing in ghaza or what happened in Miyanmar the same…!! so we contemned wherever the killing of people going on..and sorry to say what hitler did with jews they are doing the same thing with Palestinians..but what is wrong is wrong..and you are talking about china..:) are you afraid of china !!
You Primitive people ain't got any right whatsoever to condemn Israeli attacks on Gaza, while you do the very same thing to your own folks!
first i want to make clear that certainly 95% of the Pakistanis are looking for a peacefull way of living so for the fucked up 5% you should not blame a whole society,they can't help it that theyr government is weak and corrupt .
In this country we several religous sects. Each one celebrates it sacred days on by takeing out procession on the streets and roads of the town or city. This should stop by law. Even political procession should not allowed to use public places. Media should highlight this.
In this country we have several religious sects. Each one celebrates its sacred days by takeing out procession on the streets and roads of the town or city. This should stop by law. Even political processions should not allowed to use public places. Media should highlight this.
Yes this is need of time to adopt safe measures for unprotected followers who are called on such killings on the name of emotional religious theme..Every human life is scared so these shouldn't be wasted on such conflicts where no enemy is seen or visible to docile followers.So as preemptive measure securing human lives we have to restrict religious themes in cordoned off areas.Through such public processions, it is not common man only , but poor law enforcing personals, passerby, innocent kids being victim of unseen enemies.
it is time to use your brain and securing your followers, not to waste them as soft targets .
Most likely it is the excess of religion which makes people wear religion on their seleves followed by the madness to kill anybody who does not follow my religion. Peace for myself and not others is Islam.
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