11 killed, over 40 injured in bombing at ANP candidate’s corner meeting in Karachi, another ANP leader targeted in Landhi, JUI-F leader comes under attack in Bolan district
At least 11 people were killed and more than 40 others, including women and children, were injured in a bombing near an election corner meeting of the Awami National Party (ANP) in Karachi, as attacks on candidates continued unabated on Friday.
The latest bombing was carried out near the election office of ANP’s candidate Bashir Jan in the Mominabad area of Orangi Town when he reached there to participate in the meeting. Jan remained safe as he was in his car when the remotely detonated bomb exploded. The explosion was heard in several areas of the city, including North Nazimabad, Gurumandir and Soldier Bazaar. The dead included a young child while the injured were rushed to various hospitals for treatment.
Earlier in the day, the vehicle of ANP candidate Abdur Rehman Khan Gul, who is contesting elections from NA-255 constituency in Karachi’s Landhi area, came under a cracker bomb attack in the Muzaffarabad Colony.
At least one child was injured whereas the ANP leader’s car was partially damaged in the attack. The candidate remained unhurt in the incident.
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan claimed responsibility for both attacks in telephone calls to various media houses late on Friday.
ANP AND MQM PROTEST MURDERS
ANP Sindh President Shahi Syed gave a one-day mourning call for Saturday (today), but he said that all markets would remain open and transporters would ply their vehicles on roads as per routine.
“We are not going to call for a shutter-down strike in Karachi. We just want people to offer Fateha for the departed souls and pray for peace in the country,” he said.
However, he lashed out at the caretaker government and Election Commission for not providing security to election candidates. “Everyone knows the level of threats we are getting every day still no security is being given to our people. But we want to make it clear that no matter how tight the circumstances are made for us, we will not withdraw from the elections. We will not let the extremists have their way!”
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain joined in the condemnation, saying such incidents were part of terrorists’ conspiracy to keep the liberal PPP, ANP and MQM away from the upcoming elections.
Karachi had already been closed down for the day to mourn Thursday’s bombing at a MQM election office that killed at least six people.
ANP, one of the largest political forces in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, is being targeted with increased frequency. The party has come under attack in KP at least seven times over the past few weeks.
BOLAN FIRING
In a related incident, four security guards were injured when militants opened fire on an election convoy of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl candidate Hashim Shehwani in Mach area of Balochistan’s Bolan district.
Levies sources said JUI-F candidate for PB-30 Hashim Shehwani was on way to Quetta from Mach when his convoy came under attack. The assailants opened fire on the convoy from nearby mountains, critically injuring four security guards.