At least three people were killed and dozens of others were injured in two back-to-back blasts near a unit office of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in Karachi as incidents of pre-election violence continued to take place in various parts of the country on Saturday.
KARACHI BOMBINGS
The first blast struck near MQM Unit 153 office located in Azizabad Block 8, just a couple of kilometers away from the party’s headquarter, Nine Zero, while the second one tore through the same area minutes after.
The second bomb was reportedly much deadlier than the first blast as it targeted rescuers, law enforcers, volunteers and reporters who had thronged the attack site. The injured included a large number of women and children.
DIG of Police (West) Zafar Bukhari said it was a suicide attack.
Minutes after the attack, the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) came out with a claim, accepting responsibility for the bombings, just the way it did in the past weeks following similar attacks.
According to police sources, the bomb disposal squad did not reach the site even after the second blast.
Police said the explosive device was planted in a rickshaw, a modus operandi the terrorists reportedly used in some of their early attacks in Karachi, while the second one was strapped on a motorcycle.
The sources quoted an eyewitness as saying that the second explosion struck when a policeman challenged a motorcycle rider to stop but the biker detonated the bomb, which made the police suspect that the second blast was a suicide attack.
MQM leader Anis Qaim Khani is said to have narrowly escaped the bombing as he was in the office by the time the improvised explosive devices went off.
MQM chief Altaf Hussain vehemently denounced the bombings in Azizabad, and gave a call for mourning across Sindh on Sunday (today).
A series of bombings in recent weeks have targeted offices and candidates of the MQM, Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), most of which took place in Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta in the run-up to the May 11 general elections.
JI LEADER TARGETED
In Hangu, Jamaat-e-Islami candidate from NA-39, Raj Muhammad escaped a roadside bombing.
According to police, Raj was travelling to an election rally when his car struck an improvised explosive device. Raj survived the attack but his car was badly damaged in the incident.
In Peshawar, a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf election office was partially destroyed in a bomb attack.
According to police, unidentified militants had planted a three kilogramme bomb on the roadside near the PTI office. Police sources said that the target of the attack was a vehicle of the law enforcement personnel but the bomb exploded prematurely, damaging the PTI office.
BLAST AT JI OFFICE
At least two persons were injured when militants hurled a hand grenade at the electoral office of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) in Quetta.
Fayyaz Sumbal, the deputy inspector general of police, said that two militants threw a bomb at the election office of the JI in Gailani Road area of Quetta.
Sumbal said two persons were injured in the attack while the blast damaged the election office.
seems MQM has lost control over karachi?
Looks like there is a new terrotist in town and it has outperformed the old terrorist, MQM, who had its hold on Karahi for over two decades. I guess, the saying that what goes around comes around fits perfectly in this case.
The MQM it self is taliban of Karachi so it means they are working on help themselves for gaining sympathies in the media as their leaders including pir of London is not in mood of addressing public rallies other than video talks
I agree with you Nazia. MQM sowed the seed of terror and it should reap the harvest although these incidents may be engineered by MQM itself and it is quite capable of doing that. Note that there has been third blast on MQM and in one blast there was no office which was claimed to be the target.Also note that none of the Rabita Committee members ever been seen attending the meeting.
come to point.What is purpose of all this .In one side of Pakistan, Taliban favored groups are being projected and guarded by establishment and on the south artificial hatred against Taliban are being highlighted through fake bombing so what would be consequences of all this.?You must know better than me.
MQM getting a taste of their own medicine?
That said, condolences to the victims' families.
good work to hit terrorists
They all parties just think for thier own interest …poor people are dying day by day ….even those parties are doing this type of attacks for thier own interests … Just target 90 and liyari and other parties headquarters …target killing will be finish frm country…
Karachi is being hammered by this ethnic party which has stranglehold on Karachi because of its fascist activities. 4th shutdown on gun point by megalomaniac Altaf Hussain who is under protection of the British government.
Imagine how much damage to the city has been inflicted to the economy of the country has occurred. Just to show the masters, the US and the UK that they can paralyse Karachi just like the wink of the eye.
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