Four people were killed and 35 others injured on Tuesday when a bomb planted on a motorcycle went off near Ayesha Manzil in Karachi’s Federal B area, just as participants of Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) “Safar-e-Inqilab-e-Pakistan” rally at Jinnah Ground in Azizabad were making their way home.
The bomb was planted on a motorcycle which was parked near Ayesha Manzil between Shadyana Marriage Lawn and Al-Saud CNG filing station, close to the space reserved for parking buses that brought attendants to the rally.
According to Karachi West Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Asif Aijaz Sheikh, the blast shattered the windows of most of the buses and was heard as far as the Numaish area.
Law enforcement personnel, paramilitary forces, the Bomb Disposal Squad and investigation agencies rushed to the spot and cordoned off the site to ascertain the cause of the explosion.
The deceased, Rehan, Tayyab, Hashim and Talib Hussain were all members of the MQM.
The injured were shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH) and Sindh Government Hospital Liaquatabad (SGHL) for treatment.
Talking to Pakistan Today, the ASH medical superintendent (MS) said condition of five of the injured was critical.
DIG Asif Ejaz Sheikh said the improvised explosive device (IED), which contained two to three kilogrammes of explosives and ball bearings, was placed in the toolbox of the motorcycle and was detonated with a remote controlled device.
“Though nobody has claimed responsibility for the blast so far, the incident was similar to the one that took place near Cantonment Railway Station,” Sheikh said. “Two more bombs have been recovered from the surroundings,” he added.
The blast has raised serious questions regarding the effectiveness of law enforcement agencies, as a checkpost of Sachal Rangers was a stone’s throw away from the blast site.
