Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah addressed a press conference on Friday insisting that the blast on Thursday was an accident and not an act of terrorism.
“Initial reports and evidence suggest that there was gas leakage in the building. Gas cylinders were present, and therefore, there is a strong possibility that the explosion was caused by gas leakage. It cannot be called an incident of terrorism,” Rana Sanaullah said.
He said that no evidence of explosive materials was found at the blast site, adding that a complete forensic report was awaited.
A powerful explosion in Defence killed eight people and injured 35 others, only 10 days after a suicide bomb attack right in front of the Punjab Assembly claimed 15 lives.
The blast crumpled cars and sent panic rippling through the city after a wave of attacks across Pakistan killed more than 130 people.
The explosion occurred at an under-construction cafe in the Defence Housing Authority area’s Z Block, killing the café owner Moazam Paracha, who was also the CEO of the telecom company, Airlink.
Contradictory statements following the blast created confusion and deepened the mystery about the nature of the blast.
It was termed both a cylinder blast and a time bomb. Later in the day, some police officers returned to their original claim and said that it was a cylinder explosion. One officer said that material stored in the building might have exploded.
Many police and administration officials confirmed to different media outlets and news agencies that it was a bomb attack. However, no group has yet claimed responsibility.
Reports said that ball-bearings were not found from the scene and nor were any smells reported which are usually associated with bomb explosion aftermaths.