Blast in Peshawar: Death toll reaches 6
The death toll from the remote-controlled blast that occured in the Nishterabad area of Peshawar on Monday reached six, while an FIR has been filed against unidentified assailants, reported Express 24/7.
A spokesperson for the Lady Reading Hospital confirmed the death toll.
At least 11 people, out of 30 wounded in the blast, are still under treatment at the hospital.
The debris of 20 shops was also cleared; however, most of the shops in the area remained closed.
Updated from print version (below)
Militancy: 5 killed in blast at Peshawar’s CD market
At least five people were killed and over two dozen injured in a bomb explosion targeting a market selling CDs in Peshawar on Monday.
The market is situated in Nishtarabad Chowk, a thickly-populated area close to the Grand Trunk Road in the centre of the city.
Medics at Peshawar’s largest Lady Reading Hospital said that they have received five bodies and 30 wounded people from the blast site. They added that there was one woman among the dead.
Bashir Bilour, senior minister in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa cabinet, confirmed the death toll and told AFP at the hospital that police had informed him that the bomb was probably planted on a motorcycle.
(Read: Bomb threat - As terrorism threats rise, so do security measures in Peshawar)
A Bomb Disposal Unit official told The Express Tribune that it was an improvised explosive device (IED) weighing eight to ten kilograms. The bomb was attached to a motorcycle and was detonated remotely. “A large number of ball bearings were also used in the bomb to kill maximum number of people,” he added.
“The bomb was strapped to a motorbike and detonated with a remote control,” Senior Superintendent of Police Ijaz Ahmed told The Express Tribune. “The target was the CD market,” he added.
Ahmed told AFP that the blast damaged 30 shops with 20 of the shops completely destroyed. The blast triggered a fire on Sidiq General Store which was gutted.
Jalalud Din, a lawyer who received head injuries from the blast, said he was shopping in the area when the blast took place.
“There was a huge blast as I was buying candies for my kids. I lost consciousness after my head struck a wall,” Din told The Express Tribune.
Nobody immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but Taliban militants have bombed music shops in several cities and towns in the past, saying there is no room for music in Islam.
With around 300 shops, Nishtarabad is the largest market of audio and video CDs in the province. Earlier this market was bombed on October 9, 2007. There were no fatalities from that blast.
(With additional input from AFP)
Published in The Express Tribune, September 20th, 2011.
COMMENTS (18)
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@Get Smart: Are you asking where are they getting these weapons from? I am from KP and know my area very well .. I hope you have heard about Darra Adam Khel etc and what the area was famous for all along ever since GOD fearing Gen Zia decided to throw us to the wolves ...You can check some videos on Youtube for D.A.K bazar to have some insight, their only business was to make guns etc illegally in those markets and no one wanted to stop them because every one was busy in their luxurious life from Generals and Law enforcement agencies to Politicians. But still lets pause for a second and think its "foreign hand", Then what is our government doing to protect us? Please tell us a few steps they have taken for our protection ... I live abroad now and went to Peshawar after many years I didn't see any measures taken by govt to protect the 'front line city' caught in this mess, apart from group of policemen here and there, holding torches at night and waving it at every vehicle passing by, GOD knows for what purpose (may be looking for E.Ts & Aliens?), No CCTVs, No detectors and No Scanners are installed and No expulsion of foreigners living in our cites from decades and No overhaul of education system. So that's the level of professionalism of our beloved politicians, government and police et al. Why can't they seal/fence the border completely? Why can't get rid of their sympathizers & hypocrites like Qazi and Sami etc And when our people are dieing anyways then Why not get rid of these beasts living openly and making groups like Haqqanis, SSP, JeT, and others like minded groups. In Sri Lanka people thought the Tamils were supported by hidden foreign hands too .. but instead of pointing fingers at India etc their government went and uprooted the Tamils ... So why not get rid of these groups that some people think are supported by India, USA, and Aliens.
@Akthar: 'Why not (blame) SSP, LeJ, LeT, JeM?'
Because all of the above entities are active in Punjab and to some extent in Karachi. In KP, Taliban rule the roost when it comes to terrorism. Our muslim brethren of faith will make pious muslims of us all no matter what it takes.
Pakistan needs help! Pakistan army & politicians (in full support of people) first make their mind absolutely clear that they need help to clean their country from all sort of terrorist and to rebuild there country. Entire world is there with them to provide assistance. Ordinary people are suffering most because of terrorism & natural perils. The early army and politicians decide and take swift action the better it is for everyone. Any delay is going to be worst.
When there is Justice .... there is no stopping
Why must ET block comments which show that Imran Khan and the PTI refuse to stop sympathizing with these animals?
Let's be honest, PTI/Imran Khan-types are the ruin of our beloved Pakistan. Please stop censoring comments which call a spade a spade - Imran Khan refuses to recognize that there is no such thing as "good" Taliban. They are all bad!
It could be a job of an individual who was failed in the economic struggle of life.
That individual might also have problems with the happy life styles and porno graphic pirated CDs which are being sold to under age young people of Pakistan.
shame on those who still do not come out and condemn these barbaric acts of the terrorists taliban. Peshawar and Pashtoons, like for centuries, will survive but these fanatics won't.
R.I.P. to the dead.
May the wrath of God be on the Taliban.
Again. Daily Bomb Blasts. & the easiest scapegoat to blame is the Taliban. Why not SSP, LeJ, LeT, JeM?
The Taliban have been known to attack CD markets in the past. . But are those the good Pakistani Taliban or the good Afghan Taliban - or are they the bad Pakistani Taliban or the bad Afghan Taliban? It's hard for the outside World to figure out the alphabet soup of militants than roam Pakistan - maybe you should consider getting rid of all of them - should make the World (including Pakistan) safer.
Amreeka, Bharaat, Israel, foreign hand, third hand, disgruntled nationalists? Take your pick!! No responsibility! Pakistani citizens are dying left, right and center, and the only thing everyone in this country is concerned about is looking at America in the eye!! We should all change our last names to Haqqani or Masud or soemthing, thats seem to be the only people that enjoy the states protection.
Do you think that Imran khan and Minawar Hassan of Jumat-e-Islami would take time out of their busy schedule to condemn terrorists for their barbaric crimes? Will they hold a small rally anywhere in Pakistan to condemn the Taliban and sectarian killers? Their answer will be:" these killings and terrorism are perpetrated by CIA, RAW and Mossad. Taliban and sectarian activists are truly faithful and pious muslims. They can't even think of doing such horrendous things." They are providing political support to terrorists and mislead the people about our real enemy. They deflect the attention of public and media away from Taliban (who are real terrorists) to the imaginery threats (CIA, Mossad, RAW etc). That's the reason why we have so far failed to develop decisive consensus against the real terrorists.
will the bloodlust of the pious ever abate?
And then the adherents of strategic depth policy (Imran Khan's PTI and likes) claim that Taliban uprising is basically a Pushtun Ethnic Uprising. Could not understand why a Pukthun Uprising will target Pushto Video Shops in Peshawar and why will they target Pukhtuns?
May the wrath of God be on the Taliban
Shame