 |
| |
WEEKLY
SECTIONS |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Allama Hassan Turabi assassinated |
|
|
|
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Nephew also dies in Karachi suicide bombing; three cops wounded critically
AH Khanzada
KARACHI: Allama Hassan Turabi, a central leader of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) and the Shia Ulma Council, was assassinated when a suicide bomber exploded himself just in front of his house here on Friday, police and witnesses said. A head suspected to be that of the bomber was found at the scene.
Ghulam Ali, a teenage nephew of the 58-year-old Allama, was also killed, while three policemen deployed for guard duty were injured critically in the blast in the Abbas Town locality within the jurisdiction of the Sachchal police station, Mushtaq Shah, the DIG Operations, Karachi, told The News. “Allama Sahib and his nephew have died and three policemen have been critically wounded,” he said, adding that the Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU) defused a hand-grenade at the scene.
Witnesses told The News that a young man appeared in front of Allama Turabi’s house and told the guards he wanted to meet the Allama. At that time Allama Turabi had just returned after attending a protest demonstration against Israeli attack on Lebanon.
The police stopped the bomber from entering the house, but then he started shouting that he wanted to see Allama Turabi. “On his loud noises, the Allama, who had just entered his house, came out and asked, ‘Yes, who is he’,” a witness said, adding that the bomber drew closer to the Allama by a few steps, saying, “I have come from Khairpur” and exploded himself.
Allama Turabi and his nephew Ghulam Ali and police constables Kashif, Azhar and Fakhar sustained critical wounds in the blast. The locals immediately took them to the nearby Patail Hospital, where Ghulam Ali was pronounced dead on arrival. Allama Turabi was admitted in a critical condition but he succumbed to his injuries later. However, doctors are battling to save the policemen.
The police also summoned the BDU to clear the area, which found a hand-grenade with a detonator. The grenade was defused, a police source told The News. “There are similarities between this blast and the Nishtar Park blast,” a BDU officer told The News on condition of anonymity, referring to the April 11 suicide bombing in which top leaders of the Sunni Tehreek and scores of others were killed.
The BDU had no gadgets on the spot to measure the intensity of the bomb, but the official, on the basis of his experience, suggested the explosives used in this suicide hit weighed more than one kilogram.
However, a police spokesman later said the suicide bomber wore a jacket containing 2.5 kgs of explosives in which iron pellets were also present. “Had this bomb exploded at a public place, it could have been more harmful,” the spokesman quoted from a briefing given to Sindh IGP Jahangir Mirza at the office of the DIG Operations later in the day. A Russian-made grenade was defused at the scene, the spokesman added.
DIG Mushtaq Shah would not comment on the motives of the assassination immediately. “It will be too early,” he said. “We will take into consideration all aspects in the investigations.” The IGP announced a red alert and ordered for boosting security arrangements at all mosques, Imambargahs and other places of worship throughout the province, the spokesman said. He instructed that snap checking must be increased at bus terminals, railway stations and other buildings in the public and private sectors and those involved in sectarian killings in the past be associated with the investigations.
According to the spokesman the head found from the scene had been taken into custody and its pictures have been sent to the Nadra for identification. A DNA test would also be carried out, he added.
Sindh Home Minister Rauf Siddiqi has ordered an inquiry into the bombing by a judge of the Sindh High Court. He also constituted a separate high-level committee, comprising the inspector-general police (IGP) Sindh and the capital city police officer (CCPO) Karachi to evaluate facts.
In a statement, he termed the incident a conspiracy to destroy peace in Karachi and appealed to the people to remain clam. “The suicide bombing is a cowardly act that deserves maximum condemnation.”
The news of the assassination of Allama Hassan Turabi spread like jungle fire. Thousands of followers, supporters and sympathisers of the Allama gathered at his residence as well as in front of the hospital. Allama Hassan Turabi escaped unhurt on April 6, when a homemade bomb exploded near the car he was travelling in on the Abul Hassan Isphahani Road.
|
|
|
| Back
| Send
this story to Friend | Print
Version |
|
|
CJ says good governance being compromised
By Sohail Khan
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said on Tuesday that good governance is being compromised as it is believed that the administration of justice is the sole duty of courts or the legal fratern more |
|
|
Hakimullah dies of wounds in Multan?
By Mushtaq Yusufzai
PESHAWAR: Reports about the death of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakimullah Mehsud once again started circulating on Tuesday and this time it was being reported that the militant commander had succumb more |
|
|
MNAs seek solution to Sindh-Punjab water rift
ISLAMABAD: Members of the National Assembly on Tuesday urged for the resolution of the water crisis between Punjab and Sindh, failing which would lead to serious repercussions for the country.
Yousuf Tal more |
|
|
Good governance hinges on change in national behaviour: PM
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that change in the collective behaviour of the nation is necessary for the promotion of good governance. He said that his government believed in streng more |
|
|
NIC made mandatory to get sugar from USC outlets
ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet on Tuesday made it mandatory to produce national identity cards to get a pack of 2kg sugar from the USC outlets.
The ECC met here unde more |
|
|
|
Three provinces to hold LG polls in four months
By Hanif Khalid & Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: A high level meeting here on Tuesday at the Aiwan-e-Sadr decided that the chief ministers of Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan would hold local government elections in four months.
President Asif Al more |
|
|
|
Senators condemn attack on Sh Rashid
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Senators on Tuesday strongly condemned the murder attempt on Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed. Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) members advised Sheikh Rashid to stop more |
|
|
|
PIA obliges religiously; latest being religious minister
By Rauf Klasra
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), facing a mind-boggling loss of about Rs70billion, has quietly upgraded two seats of Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Hamid Saeed Kazmi and his wife fr more |
|
|
|
A brigadier without brigade has a history of thrashing
By Umar Cheema
ISLAMABAD: The basher-brigadier of the National University of Modern Languages (NUML), who assaulted his professor colleague late Thursday, has a long list of such incidents on his credit as his resume is sprin more |
|
|
|
PAC settles drought money misuse
By Rauf Klasra
ISLAMABAD: A special committee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) probing misuse of drought funds worth million of rupees on Tuesday conveniently settled majority of charges against deputy auditor general o more |
|
|
|
NA-55 by-polls
By our correspondent
LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has urged all the political parties, including the PML-N, to withdraw from the NA-55 by-polls in favour of Sheikh Rashid.
“ more |
|
|
|
Point scoring be avoided in Rashid attack case: Shahbaz
By our correspondent
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said the Rawalpindi incident on Monday had grieved every Pakistani.
He said a joint investigation team comprising federal and provincial agencies including I more |
|
|
|
SC moved against delay in judges’ appointment
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court was moved on Tuesday against the government’s delay in the appointment of judges in the apex court and was prayed for directing the government to perform its constitutional duty by more |
|
|
|
‘74 killed in Bajaur operation’
By Hasbanullah Khan
KHAR: Security forces claimed to have killed 74 militants and injured 54 others and wrested the strategically important hilltops and areas from the insurgents during the weeklong military operation in the Mamon more |
|
|
|
Afghan unrest kills US, French soldiers
KABUL: A US and French soldiers were killed in attacks in southern and eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, the alliance said.
The US service member was killed in an improvised bomb blast in southern Afghanis more |
|
|
|
Army called in for today’s Lakki by-election
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: The government has requisitioned the services of the Pakistan Army to augment the police and civil security forces for conducting the NWFP Assembly by-election on PF-75 Lakki Marwat for which polling more |
|
|
|
Meeting discusses political issues
ISLAMABAD: A meeting held here at the presidency on Tuesday and presided over jointly by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani discussed political and development issues in the N more |
|
|
|
Rashid accuses PML-N of promoting criminal culture
ISLAMABAD: Head of Awami Muslim League, Sheikh Rashid, on Tuesday criticised the PML-N-led Punjab government for promoting criminal culture in Rawalpindi and the province.
Talking to a private TV channel more |
|
|
|
Briefs...
Over 64 dead in Afghan avalanches
KABUL: At least 24 bodies have been recovered and 40 other people are feared dead after avalanches swept vehicles into a ravine and trapped cars in a mountain pass overn more |
|
|
|
ISSN 1563-9479 
