Cracker attack strikes fear into city

Karachi
A cracker attack outside a private school in Block 7 of Gulshan-e-Iqbal early on Tuesday morning struck fear into children, parents and school managements.
Most of the schools in the vicinity were closed and heavy contingents of police and Rangers personnel, along with senior officers, rushed to the spot.
The explosion was heard in many parts of Gulshan-e-Iqbal, along the Abul Hasan Ispahani Road and in some parts of Gulistan-e-Jauhar.
Parents decided against sending their children to schools, while some of the educational institutions in the area were closed, awaiting official word from the law enforcement agencies (LEAs).
The attackers also left behind some leaflets printed in English and Urdu, saying the explosion was carried out to warn the LEAs against executing their associates, adding that more attacks would follow if the hangings did not stop.
“The explosion was apparently a response to the execution of two terrorists in the morning,” said Karachi police chief Ghulam Qadir Thebo.
He said two men on a motorcycle had lobbed an explosive material near the school that exploded with a loud bang, while two others on another motorbike dropped the leaflets.
“I have constituted an investigation team, led by DIG (East) Munir Sheikh, to probe the incident, while all preventive measures are being adopted for the citizens’ security.”
Thebo termed the explosion “a desperate attempt to blackmail the authorities”. “They are trying to terrorise students and teachers. What have innocent children and teachers done to them? What is their role in the executions?”
Soon after the attack, security was beefed up in most parts of the city, as all the SHOs were directed to increase patrolling and snap checking in their respective jurisdictions, while other LEAs have tightened security arrangements around their installations.
Gulshan-e-Iqbal SP Abid Qaimkhani said that according to intelligence reports, schools of the armed forces, private educational institutions and some public schools were under threat, adding that security in District East, especially in the areas where a cluster of schools was located, had been beefed up. “The attack in Gulshan-e-Iqbal was carried out prior to school hours, so no one was harmed.”

Emergency meeting
Administrations of some major private schools in the locality were invited by the SSP (East) and SP Qaimkhani at the latter’s office, where they were briefed about the current security arrangements as well as measures the schools should take to protect students and teachers.
“We have asked them to deploy police-trained security guards outside the schools, put up barriers outside the main gates, install CCTV cameras and carry out security drills,” said Qaimkhani.
He said a special rapid squad, comprising law enforcers on motorcycles, had been constituted for patrolling around educational institutions during school hours, while police and Rangers would jointly ensure security around clusters of schools.

Altaf concerned
In a statement issued from London on Tuesday, Muttahida Quami Movement chief Altaf Hussain expressed grave concerns over the terror threats received by managements of the Abdullah Girls’ College and other educational institutes of the city.
Altaf said such actions had been causing education officials and students much anxiety and called for immediate efforts to redress their fears.

Parties condemn attacks
Religious parties also expressed their utmost concern over the cracker attacks on two private schools in Gulshan-e-Iqbal and demanded from the government to provide foolproof security to students across the city.
The Majlis-e-Wahdate Muslimeen (MWM) spokesman Ali Ahmer called on intelligence agencies to keep a vigil around schools in Karachi.
Sunni Tehreek spokesman Fahimuddin condemned the attacks and said the government should take serious notice of the pamphlets thrown by the terrorists to create panic in the people.
The Jamat-e-Islami also issued a statement condemning the attack saying the government was least interested in providing security to school children.
The Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamat called the attacks a conspiracy against religious parties. In a statement, it said that time of attacks indicated that some elements wanted to spark religious violence.