Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah on Monday said that the security had been beefed up near the area but the protests caused failure in the implementation of security measures leading to the suicide blast near Punjab Assembly in Lahore yesterday.
In light of recent security threats in Lahore, the provincial law minister said security had been beefed up around several buildings in the city, however, the “protest led to the tragedy”.
“Security along Mall Road and important buildings around Faisal Chowk had been beefed up due to a recent threat alert in the area, but there was a lapse because of the protest today where hundreds of people were present,” Sanaullah told a private TV channel on Monday.
Punjab is observing one-day mourning on Tuesday (Today) across the province with national flag lowered to half-mast at all government buildings after a suicide blast killed 14 people and injured over 100 near Punjab Assembly yesterday.
A suicide bomber detonated the explosives strapped to his body in the midst of a crowd of protesters outside the Punjab Assembly on Monday evening. The incident occurred as hundreds of chemists were protesting nearby against a new regulatory law, Sanaullah said.
The deadly bombing capped a bloody day as elsewhere in the country three paramilitary soldiers were killed in a roadside bomb attack, while two explosives experts died while defusing a bomb.
IG Punjab Mushtaq Sukhera confirmed that DIG Capt (retd) Ahmad Mubeen, SSP Zahid Ikram Gondal and six other policemen were among the fatalities. Sukhera said the blast took place at 6.10 pm. He said six other police officials were among the dead.