Blast leaves two injured in Karachi

KARACHI: At least two people were wounded in a low-intensity blast in Karachi late on Saturday night. The blast occurred during Mehfil-e-Milad ceremony organised by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) at the Perfume Chowk in Karachi’s Gulistan-e-Jauhar. Fortunately, the two senior leaders of the party including Sindh Information Technology (IT) Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Khawaja Izharul Haq who were present at the occasion remained safe.

The blast was so loud that it shattered the windowpanes of the nearby buildings and cars. The blast also caused panic and fear in the locality. The electricity in the area was also suspended following the blast. Reacting to the information, the personnel of the law enforcement agencies including police, Rangers and the Counter-Terrorism Department rushed the site.

According to MQM-P’s senior leader Faisal Sabzwari, a Milad ceremony was proceeding near the Perfume Chowk when the blast occurred. The Bomb Disposal Squad was also called at the site of the blast. The nature of the blast was yet to be ascertained as the BD experts were examining the blast site and gathering evidence. There were multiple speculations about the nature pf the blast either it was improvised explosive device planted in a flower pot close to the stage where MQM leaders were sitting or it was a cracker attack.

The Police officials said the police was already deployed there despite that no prior permission was taken by the party to hold the Milad. “Apparently, it was a locally made cracker bomb but the BD experts are trying to ascertain the nature of the blast,” District East police chief Ghulam Azfar Mahesar told The News. The Police officials said they are also looking for the CCTV footages from the nearby cameras.

The injured victims included the media coordinators of MQM-P leaders Khawaja Izharul Haq and Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui. The victims were identified as Mustaqeem and Bilal. They were taken to nearby private hospital. The Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah also took a notice of the blast and sought a detailed report from the IGP Sindh Dr Syed Kaleem Imam. Karachi has witnessed four major incidents of terrorism within a span of less than three weeks. Two people were killed and ten others were wounded in a bomb blast in Quaidabad, two policemen and two civilians lost their lives in an attack at the Chinese consulate in Karachi and a car bombing occurred in the DHA.