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Thirty five killed at Data Darbar blast
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Terror descends upon the Darbar
At least 37 people were killed and another 175 injured in a series of suicide bomb attacks that rocked the Data Darbar.
A devotee looks at wreckage following a suicide bomb attack at Data Darbar, Lahore. PHOTO: AFP
At least 42 people were killed and another 175 injured in a series of suicide bomb attacks that rocked the Data Darbar complex late on Thursday, officials and hospital workers said. The first blast occurred in the courtyard of the Darbar shrine at 11:00pm.
The blasts tore through the shrine complex when scores of people were offering prayers in the Data Darbar, which sits in one of the city’s most crowded neighbourhoods. On Thursdays, devotees usually spend the whole night at the Darbar in anticipation of blessing. Some 3,000 people were present in the Darbar complex at the time of the attacks.
Sajjad Bhutta, the district coordination officer in Lahore, told reporters that all the three explosions were caused by suicide attackers.
While security officials confirmed that the first blast was caused by a suicide attacker, they refused to speculate about the other explosions.
Scenes of panic were witnessed soon after the explosions as people scrambled to reach the different exit points of the complex. Several lives were lost in the stampedes that followed the blasts, officials and eyewitnesses said.
One official said that the stampedes may have caused more deaths than the actual blasts. “It is too early to say anything about the nature of the second and third blasts,” a police official was quoted as telling reporters. Initial reports suggested that the explosions were set off by “crackers” and were “probably of low intensity”.
The city’s hospitals were pushed to the limit as a number of injured people were rushed to Mayo Hospital, Ganga Ram Hospital and the Services Hospital. Most of the injured were in a critical condition.
Hospital officials have appealed for blood donations for the victims of the blasts.
Policemen combed the site of the blast and reported having found a grenade shell. This led to speculation that one of the blasts was probably caused by a grenade.
Police superintendent Raja Ayaz Saleem said the first and third blasts occurred in the courtyard of the shrine complex while the second explosion went off in the basement of the building. According to Saleem, the body parts of a suicide attacker were found almost 70 feet away from the site.
In addition to the body parts, security officials have also found a suicide jacket. Commissioner Khusro Pervez confirmed that 15-kilogram explosives were found in the two suicide vests used in the attacks. Ball-bearings were also used by the attackers, he said.
“Terrorists managed to enter the area because of the massive rush,” the administrator of the shrine said in response to queries about security arrangements at the shrine.
“Two days before the attack , we held discussions with the police about security arrangements at the shrine complex,” he told reporters. According to reports, security personnel had carried out an operation near the complex while following up on leads that terrorists were plotting an attack.
Officials said that the heads of two suspected suicide bombers had been recovered. Following the blasts, people gathered outside the shrine and protested against the government for not providing security. Police resorted to aerial firing.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 2nd, 2010
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One more blast and one more feather in Pakistan’s bloody history. Its amazing how strongest institution in Pakistan – The army – still tolerates ( at Pakistan’s expense) groups in Waziristan/ punjab / balochistan and actually fosters some kind of relationship with the hope of gaining a foothold in afghanistan. They are playing a subtle double game with their own country as well as with the coalition forces and Afghanistan. If one has gone back and objectively studied the 63 odd years of pakistans history it would be obvious that the Army has contributed most to Pakistan’s ills. Problem is they are not willing to learn – there is too much of ego involved.Recommend
Assalaam-o-Alaikum
What can I say? Or what can anyone say that this is an attack on the whole Muslim Community. Because the spiritual personalities are free from sectarian thoughts and missions. There lives are devoted for the real betterment of the people. And if any one can hit the people who respect these personalities then no one can say about the religion of these people. Recommend
I totally agree with Aarvey’s comments. I am very, very lucky – as I usually visit the Darbar on Thursday nights.Recommend
Another incident that works to further the American agenda of destabilizing Pakistan. I wonder how much the families of these suicide bombers got paid by the Americans?Recommend
This is a very sad tragedy. These devotees want spirituality and goodness in the country. They mean no harm to anyone. What OH! what is the objective of these bombers. Is everyone their enemy? Recommend
Mr.aarvey,
This is the institution of Army that has protected this country so far otherwise we would have been history long ago. Don’t you know thousands of soldiers martyred in this fight, if Army is in league with them then why the hell these monsters killing army people and attacking civilians……seems u r not living in Pakistan…
Besides I would request Mr. Shahbaz Sharif to show some honor and resigned as u r a complete failure. Recommend
NINA When will people like you stop looking outside instead of inside.Recommend
ppl like one of the commentators above typify the diseased mentality that has led our country to this state.Even after thousands of our ppl have been killed by these barbarians,a large portion of our public insists on deluding itself into believing that ” yeh hamla karnay walay musalmaan nai hosaktay” .We all know these fanatics & their hatefilled,women oppressive,intolerant ideology.We just don’t want to face the ugly truth because most of our public supported & admired these fanatics when they were killing in afghanistan & india.Now that they have turned inwards,our population doesn’t want to acknowledge the Frankenstein our society created & continues to create.Recommend
These are operated by Indians, who in the guise of religion and righteousness, mislead the youth which is oriented more towards religion. Ultimately, a suicide bomber (without any sense of logic) is created, who is ordered to kill himself for getting into paradise. And, he kills because his ‘Ameer’ or ‘Murshid’ or ‘Baba’ has ordered him to do so!
May the souls of victims stay in peace. Recommend
A major disaster and once againt the terrorist have been successful in achieving their goal. They roam freely and security measures have been a major failure. The Taliban must be defeated as they claim they are winning this war!Recommend
Inhuman. Sick. Revolting. Steeped in ignorance and hatred and contempt. I thought God meant for believers to rise above the level of animals. So. What happened to love, humility, tolerance and fairness…forgiveness? The murderers would be laughing at these words, I feel. What has driven them to such madness and hatred? What has driven them to believe this is the way to salvation?
Pray, pray for the lives that have suffered and suffering. Recommend
Indeed a very sad incident, but I also feel that the people are to be blames as well. When there were warnings of such an attack, the devotees should have avoided the gathering; this in no way would have reduced their religious zeal. We are facing a serious threat from terrorists and we have to make efforts to avoid such incidents.Recommend
The tragic incidents in Lahore call for immediate intervention by the government. The presence of Taliban in Punjab is a reality and we need to counter them. The attack on NATO tankers, Ahmediya community massacre and the Hall road blasts point towards a strong presence of militants who are gaining more ground in Punjab.Recommend
Causes:
1) Incompetent security
2) State patronage of or reluctance to tackle sectarian outfits
3) Failed national education system
4) Failed economy – expanding poverty
5) Denial that a perverse heretical version of Islam is declaring other muslims as Takfirees.
6) Infiltration of State institutions by Taliban supporters and Islamist agents.
7) Failure of Ulema to act as the conscience of the nation and call a spade a spade.
8) A society that has no understanding of what it’s priorities are.
9) TV channels that fail to inform and promote sympathy or provide cover to extremism.
10) Interference of so called friendly nations that are competing for domination of their particular version of Islam in Pakistan.Recommend
“On Thursdays, devotees usually spend the whole night at the Darbar in anticipation of blessing”
Is it some kind of Cultural or Religious tradition? blessing eh…..right. Recommend
Aslam u alaikum,
Its a realy painful incident for all of us. I want to disscuss about the CCTV photage in which the men who was suspected suicider shown in Dawateislami’s getup its very mean some people want to destroy the image of Dawateislami in front of whole world. Its easy to buy the turban and white suite to fulfill your pupose. Our leader is very clear in his statement by saying that one who will pick up the stone during a protest (dawateislami is against those protest which damages the property of people and gov) is not from dawateislami.
So i want to letyou people know that Dawateislami has only one purpose that is spreading of Sunnah to whole world.Recommend
Infact this is idiological warfare, which needed to be address idiologically, when Shia muslims were continuesly targetted since 1980, it was called as sectarin violence and Now the pakistan’s majority Sunni muslim are at target. What would you call them?, will you simply call as “marney waley musalman nahi ho saktay”!!.
The hatred breed in pakistan is so strong that they can even bomb anyone, whoever is wrong in their eyes.
The spreaders of the love are bombed, the shrine which is feeding faith and food (spitural knowledge) to the Human beings are targeted by the those misfortuned who have played with Islam, in a similar fashion as they did in the Karbala with Imam Husain a.s and with his family.
Love to human being is real meaning of Islam, and this reality is narrowed by the thinking that Islam only loves Muslims.
Why don’t we understand that the sanctity of the Human life is more precious then the sanctity of the Kaaba’.
Lets again read our history, we have made warriars as our heros but those who always spreaded the peace the Knowlegde to mankind are neglected.Recommend