‘Nexus of banned outfits, anarchist groups behind Karachi bombings’

A nexus of banned outfits and anarchist groups is behind the Karachi bombings, said Karachi police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon on Tuesday.

Officials said the additional inspector general of police convened a meeting on law and order at the Scouts Auditorium, which was attended by officials of all ranks of the Karachi Police, including the DIGs and SSPs.

The meeting discussed strategies to prevent such incidents in the future, the officials said and added that evidence had been collected from the scene and raids conducted by law enforcers. Talking to The News, Additional IGP Memon said their initial findings had revealed that a nexus of banned outfits and small anarchist parties had been formed and they were involved in the recent Karachi bombings. However, no group had yet claimed responsibility of Monday’s attack.

He added that they had received a Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU) report regarding in the Kharadar blast and it said the terrorists had used four kilograms of locally made explosive that contained ball bearings and it was equipped with a remote control.

On a query, Memon said the meeting that he conducted on Tuesday was to upgrade the security mechanism throughout the city. The security mechanism, he said, included forming of sub stations in all districts of Karachi and each district consisted of two sub stations and the sub stations consisted of officials of from the Rapid Response Force (RRF) and the Special Security Unit (SSU), who would immediately respond to any untoward or terrorist activity in the city if occurred.

He said directives had been issued to his subordinates to change the pattern of their mobile patrolling and increase their intelligence. He directed the intelligence officers of police stations to expand their network in their jurisdictions. He told them to keep an eye on people who had recently settled there and also check the hotels that were located in their areas and get details of persons coming to stay there.

The city’s top cop said the officials had been directed to create awareness among the people and guide them to immediately inform the local police at emergency number if they found any suspicious activities in their neighbourhood.

He also requested the citizens to stay away from any blast scenes as there was a great possibility of a second blast. Meanwhile, an important meeting on the law and order situation was chaired by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah at his office.

Officials said the meeting was attended by the chief secretary, DG Rangers, principal secretary, home secretary, additional IGs and officers of intelligence agencies. The incident at Boulton Market at night was the third incident in a short time, the CM said and added: “I will not allow peace to be disturbed under any circumstances.”

He said he himself, police, Rangers and intelligence agencies should work out a strategy together. He added that he wanted effective action, and told the high-ups to take officers that the police needed and dismiss those who were not working.

Talking about the recent wave of terrorism during which three terrorist incidents had taken place in the city within a month, he said that the law and order in the province was under control, but anti-social and anti-state elements had started creating unrest, but we would not allow them to achieve their nefarious designs.

Shah said that when the Boulton Market incident took place, he was in Abu Dhabi with Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto to offer condolences over the death of the ruler of the UAE. “I cut my visit short and rushed back to Karachi,” he said and added that upon reaching at around 1.15am he held an emergency meeting with police officers.

The CM said that he had told the policemen that it was intelligence failure that three incidents had taken place one after another. He pointed out that when a terrorist carrying a bag entered Karachi University, why the bag was not checked.

He said the police would sensitise the citizens to inform Madadgar-15 whenever they witnessed any suspicious activity. “The police will talk to the shopkeepers in the market to keep proper vigilance in their parking lots and install their private CCTV system,” he said.