25 killed as twin blasts rock Karachi

The News - KARACHI: Two bomb blasts rocked Pakistan’s largest city on Friday, killing about 25 people and injuring over a hundred more. The terrorists first targeted a bus of mourners on Shahrae Faisal, who were on their way to join the main Chehlum procession, while the second hit the Jinnah Hospital, which was clogged with rescue workers and relatives of the dead and injured of the first explosion. The twin attacks had the echoes of the Ashura blast on the main MA Jinnah Road, which had killed more than 40 people.

But that, however, is not all. The conflicting reports about the nature of the blasts again left people wondering about the competence of the bomb disposal squad and the police on the whole. While the bomb disposal squad, in its knee jerk reaction, immediately declared that the twin bombings were suicide attacks, other police officials were not so sure. They blamed Jundullah, whose activists were recently arrested for the Ashura blast, for planting the bombs in motorcycles. The recovery of an unexploded bomb from Jinnah Hospital further blurred the truth, which in any case is the first victim of violence in Karachi. 

The explosions came exactly forty days after the Ashura blast. The day started with a Majlis at Nishtar Park on account of Chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain. Following the Majlis, the main procession started from the Nishtar Park. Small processions and busloads of people from all over Karachi continued joining the procession. 

At around 3 pm, one such bus of route 52-A (registration number P-0081), carrying mourners from Saudabad, Malir, to MA Jinnah Road where the main procession was in progress, suffered a huge blast.

The bus was on the ramp of the Shahrah-e-Quaideen Flyover when the bomb, apparently planted in a motorcycle, exploded, killing 12 mourners and injuring 40 others. The dead were identified as Zaheer, Hassan, Hasnain, Ali, 10, Ahmed, Anjum, Tauqeer, Ali Shahab, Babar, 18, Zaheer, 22, Shahid and Anwer Abbas, 7. Two vehicles passing by the bus, ASJ-783 and Hi-roof CK-9649, were also damaged in the blast. Some nearby houses and a shop were also damaged. 

Eyewitnesses said that the police were slow to respond though ambulances reached the site immediately. The CCPO, Waseem Ahmed, reached the scene after some time. By that time, however, the dead and the injured had been taken to Jinnah Hospital. Some mourners, by that time, had blocked one track of the main Sharae Faisal. The protesters dispersed after some time. 

While the city was reeling from the first blast, few people had any idea that more bloodshed was in store for them. As rescue workers rushed the victims to Jinnah Hospital and mourners from Malir came looking for their relatives, they went straight into the path of another bomb apparently planted by the same terrorists. 

At around 5 pm, the second bomb, planted yet again in a motorcycle parked in front of Jinnahís emergency department gate, exploded. Most of those who died this time were the relatives of victims of the first blast. The blast at the Jinnah Hospital destroyed the Emergency, where the victims of the first blast were being treated, and damaged many ambulances. 

Some 15 people were killed in the second blast and several others who were injured were shifted to Aga Khan, Liaquat National Hospital and Civil Hospital. The three bodies brought to Aga Khan were identified as those of Asif, Ghulam Haider and Khalil, while the dead in Liaquat National were identified as Zain, Zaheer and Hafeez. One dead in Civil Hospital, Karachi, was identified as Murtaza while two others remained unknown. The body of one woman remained unidentified.

The dead of the second blast included at least four hospital employees, all Christians. They were identified as Akram Masih s/o Ismail Masih, Manzoor Masih, his wife Rozi and 14-year-old daughter Kiran. 

Most of the bodies of mourners were taken to Martin Quarters, Imambargah, and Mehfil-i-Murtaza, Imambargah. 

Liaquat Memon, Assistant Police Surgeon, said that a group of senior doctors comprising Dr Farhat Abbas, Dr Jabbar Memon, Dr Tayyab and Dr Jagdesh would visit the Aga Khan, Liaquat National, Imambargah Martin Quarters and Mehfil-i-Murtaza and collect information about the dead, conduct autopsy on the spot and issue death certificates. Dr Memon would also be a member of the body.

Soon after, the police recovered a third bomb, which was planted in a television. Police said the bomb was a big device and had posed a real and substantial threat to the people at the Jinnah Hospital. Luckily it did not go off. 

While the twin explosions raised questions about police ability to protect citizens, they provoked outrage throughout the country. All leaders across the political and religious spectrum unanimously condemned the barbaric attacks. 

Sources said while it was too early to say who was responsible but the incident resonated with terrorist bombing on Ashura. SSP Raja Umer Khattab, chief of the Special Investigation Unit (SIU), Karachi, said that the blasts were not suicide attacks but were remote controlled explosions. He added that while reviewing the blast scene, it seemed that terrorists had parked the motorcycle at the initial part of the ramp of Sharea Quaideen Bridge, and were waiting for the bus. When the bus started climbing the ramp and was turning, the terrorists exploded the motorcycle. The police found the parts of the motorcycle and the explosive besides nuts used in the blast. 

SSP Khattab said that in the JPMC blast, the terrorists had parked the motorcycle at the motorcycle parking lot of the JPMC, where they had attached a television to it. Due to suspicion, security personnel went towards the motorcycle and removed the TV and called the BDS staff. Meanwhile, the same motorcycle exploded.

After examining the television, the police recovered the explosive material of about 20-25 kilograms. He added that the explosive used inside the blast was the same used in the Ashura blast. In the blast, the terrorists had used a local explosive and nuts. 

The engine and chassis numbers of motorcycles, taken into custody by the investigators, were removed by the terrorists while the number plates were missing.

Regarding the involvement of the Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, SSP Khattab said that it was premature to say but past investigations with regard to the LJ suggested that they had no knowledge of making remote control bombs. ìThe LJ is usually involved in suicide attacks and their heads provide them jackets and they conduct suicide attacks,î he said.

Police sources said that an inquiry committee would probe the two blasts. The body would be supervised by Karachi CCPO Waseem Ahmed and its members are DIG Ghulam Qadir Theabo and the SP Bin Qasim Town, while SIU chief Raja Umer Khattab would conduct investigations into the blasts separately. 

They added that the investigators had taken into custody video footage of the JPMC blast. Moreover, investigation teams had carried out raids in different parts of the city, including Gadap, and had rounded up some suspects. 

The long terrible day gave way to an anxious night, with police fearing more explosions, but luckily none came. The burials today pose new challenges to the administration, which always tries to put up its best performance only after the terrorist acts. Even then, it leaves much to be desired. 

source - The News