Karachi Paralyzed, Citywide Strike After Two Blasts

Twin blasts in Karachi that killed atleast 27 and left more than 100 injured within two hours Friday has paralyzed the city and few vehicles are on the streets of this southern port city of Pakistan today.

The first incident took place at about 3:00 PM Friday, on Shahrah-e-Faisal, at Shahrah-e-Quaiden Bridge, Karachi. The explosion was heard when an explosives-laden motorcycle rammed into the bus caring mourners for the claim of Hazrat Iman Hussain (AS). According to the police officials an improvised explosive device (IED) was fitted on the motorcycle. Police, Rangers and rescue workers of EDHI and CHIPPA spontaneously reached the spot.

On the chehlum of Hazrat Hussain(RA), members of the Hussain Azadar Tanzeem left from Malir Colony in two buses towards Nishter Park where the procession was to be held. When on midway near nursery a motorcycle bump into the side of the bus causing the explosion. One of the mourners said,

“Initially, we did not plan to carry so many people. As we proceeded forward, however, we had to stop thrice to pick up people who wanted to join us. During this time, we lost contact with the second bus that was coming after us. When we reached Nursery, I saw a motorcycle bump into the side of the bus. After that, I don’t remember anything. There was a lot of smoke in the bus and I lost consciousness,”

Zahid, a worker at a shop in Nursery said: “I was on my way to buy lunch when heard a blast and was pushed backwards due to its immense force.I did not see a motorcycle.”

Hassan Javed, a former office-bearer of a Shia- association said: “there were 65 to 70 people, including children, in the bus run by the Hussaini Safaratkhana Imambargah in Saudabad.The bus had started off at 2pm from the RCD Ground to take its passengers to the main Chehlum procession. “
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nother injured man said: “I was sitting on top of the bus into which the motorcyclist had bumped. I lost my balance and fell off after the blast, fracturing my jaw and shoulder.”

Doctors at JPMC were busy in treating the wounded and were under immense pressure due the aggression and vandalism of the victim’s relatives, when an explosion was heard outside the Emergency Ward, at around 4:45 PM, which took 13 lives and left many severely injured including the hospital staff, media persons and the people accompanying victims of the 1st blast. Three women employees of the JPMC were also killed in the blast.

Sindh Health Minister Dr Saghir Ahmed said, “13 people died in the JPMC blast, among them three women and a union council nazim belonging to MQM. Nearly 50 people were injured.”

After the blasts many patients were now taken to other hospitals in the city, such as the Aga Khan Hospital (AKH), Liaquat National Hospital (LNH) and the Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) because JPMC administration had closed the emergency ward.

Mr. Abdus Sattar Edhi was supervising his rescue workers outside JPMC when the second blast occurred. He said, “you can see I am safe and unhurt.”

Soon after the after the blast outside JPMC, administration received information about another bomb which was hidden within its premises. This news panicked everyone present at the hospital and the administration contacted Federal Health Secretary Khushnood Lashari for the security of the hospital.

Bomb disposal unit (BDU) searched for the bomb but failed to recover it. SP Faizullah Karejo said, “amid a rumpus caused briefly by enraged people after the explosion in the hospital, someone noticed a monitor placed on a motorcycle and took it into the casualty ward, apparently to save it from damage. Bomb disposal unit (BDU) personnel and sniffer dogs of Rangers scanned the premises, but failed to detect the explosives.

“I noticed the monitor on a bench and felt that it was out of place. When I lifted it, it felt fairly heavy,” said an eye witness.

Subsequently, BDU personnel were called and the monitor was opened, exposing over 20kgs of explosives laced with nuts and attached to a detonator. It was probably due to the distance that the remote control device didn’t work, otherwise it would have wreaked havoc in the hospital.”

JPMC Deputy Director (Security) Dr Shrichand Ram said, “we were only prepared for a medical emergency. No one had imagined that the hospital will be targeted.”

Sindh Health Minister Dr Sagheer Ahmed said , “it is high time that hospitals are not used as a battleground, for slogan-mongering or for creating a ruckus. A line needs to be drawn.”

Initially the bomb disposal unit(BDU), declared both attacks as planted bombs. The police investigators initially disclosed that the blast was a suicide attack.

Inspector Munir Ahmed Sheikh of the Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU) said, “according to the facts gathered by us, there was a suicide jacket carrying around 15 to 20 kilograms of explosive.”

The authorities were hesitant to define the nature of blast, but soon after the second blast at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre’s emergency ward and then finally the recovery of a bomb in a monitor at the hospital convinced the authorities that the two previous attacks were due to the planted explosive devices.

Capital City Police Officer Waseem Ahmed said, “the scenes of two blasts don’t show any sign of suicide attack.Both bombs were planted. They were locally made with nuts and bolts to make the impact severe. Their make resembles with the bomb that was used in the Ashura procession blast.”

Federal Interior Minister Rahman Malik and Special Investigation Unit (SIU) SSP Raja Umar Khattab said, “the attacks were caused by planted bombs,it was not a case of suicide bombing. “

Shia Ulema Organization(SUC),MQM,ANP and PPP have issued a call for a complete three day morning starting on Saturday (today) to protest the twin blasts. Joint funeral prayers of the martyrs will be held at 9.00 am on Saturday at Imam Bargah Hussainian in Malir.

The City Nazim, Mustafa Kamal has announced that the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) will cover the treatment expenses of both bomb blast victims.

He has especially deputed Executive District Officer (EDO) Health at the Agha Khan Hospital and a District Officer (DO) at the Liaquat National Hospital to look over the treatment facilities for the victims of both bomb blasts and all the hospitals working under the supervision of the city government are on high alert.

City remained paralyzed on Saturday markets and business places were closed all schools under CDGK remained an operated. The strike was called by Shia scholar Allama Abbas Kumaili along with other scholars, late on Friday night.