Three killed in blast near Hafiz Saeed’s house

LAHORE: Three people, including two members of a family, were killed while 24 others sustained injuries in a bomb blast near the residence of proscribed Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed on Wednesday.

The blast happened outside a house near a checkpoint in an affluent neighbourhood, Punjab police chief Inam Ghani said. “Our assessment is that the most obvious target was the police and security forces,” he told reporters, adding that the blast was being treated as a terrorist incident.

He said it was unclear whether a vehicle was packed with explosives that were remotely detonated or if a suicide bomber was behind the blast. Geo News reported three people were killed and 24 wounded, four of whom were in critical condition. A preliminary investigative report determined more than 30kg of explosives were used in the blast, and that adds that “foreign-made materials” were used, Geo News reported quoting sources. Ball bearings, nails and other objects were among the materials said to be used in the bomb.

The preliminary report also states the material had been planted onto a car and the device was detonated remotely. A three-foot deep and eight-foot wide crater has formed at the site of the blast, the report said. The blast caused damage within a 100-square-foot radius.

City police chief Ghulam Mehmood Dogar earlier said that officers were investigating “from every angle” after acknowledging that the house of Hafiz Saeed, the jailed head of the banned militant organisation, is located in the area.

Footage aired by private TV channels showed mangled vehicles and rescue workers sifting through broken windows and shattered walls of the building.

State media reported that Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar took notice of the blast and directed the police chief to investigate the incident and submit a report. He ordered that the responsible should be brought to justice.

Meanwhile, emergency was declared at the local hospital where the patients were taken and Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid was present to review the medical treatment being provided to the wounded. She directed the medical officials to provide “the best healthcare facilities to the injured”. Later, Ghani accompanied by Dogar visited the hospital and inquired after the injured. DIG Operations Sajid Kiani and SSP Investigation were also present.

Blasts in Pakistan’s major cities have become increasingly rare in recent years following a massive crackdown on militant groups in urban areas along with a string of military offensives targeting militant strongholds along the Afghan border.