- RSS
- Today's Paper
- Subscribe
- beta 2.1
Alerts
Hyderi bomb blasts: Karachi’s most peaceful people face terror
Shock filled faces at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where many of the 21 injured were taken.
A man mourns near the body of a blast victim at a hospital in Karachi. At least six people, including a young girl, were killed when two bombs went off outside Burhani Compound, a busy commercial area of the city. PHOTO: AFP
KARACHI:
The people who have been known as the most peaceful in Karachi faced the worst form of terror on Tuesday.
“Nothing like this has happened in 45 years since we moved here,” said a Dawoodi Bohra man, whose relative was one of the eight people fatally injured in a bomb blast outside Burhani compound in Hyderi. “I don’t understand why this has occurred. We are a peaceful community.”
Twenty-one people were injured in the explosion and many of them were taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where chaos unfolded.
Of the eight people killed in the attack, including a woman and a 12-year-old girl, at least five belong to the community. “An innocent community has been targeted,” health minister Dr Sagheer Ahmed told journalists outside the emergency ward of the hospital. “This goes to show how the city’s security has been compromised.”
The twin explosions occurred outside the compound, where many members of the community manage their shops, including boutiques and eateries. The police have found a large quantity of explosives at another market in Hyderi, where Burhani compound is located.
A sea of people thronged the hospital. Relatives frantically searched for the injured as a large crowd of spectators kept pouring into the emergency ward, trying to get a glimpse of the action. At the other end of the hospital, the mortuary had only two bodies.
Doctors, who have treated many bomb blast victims in the past, were not sure what kinds of explosives were used in the latest attack. “The bodies seem to have shrapnel wounds,” said Dr Yousuf Baig, who had carried out a preliminary check of the bodies. “I didn’t find any ball bearings but it seems as if something sharp pierced the victims.” He added that the wounds could have been caused by objects which had exploded into pieces after the bombs went off. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan typically uses explosives with ball bearings in its attacks.
Azhar Hussain, who had lost his 18-year-old cousin Sajid Mehmood, was too shocked to even cry. Mehmood ran an ice-cream vending machine outside the compound. “What do I do now?” Hussain asked. He had been asked to get a death certificate first. “I have to take my cousin’s body back to his family in Rahim Yar Khan. But how will we open the coffin and let his mother and sister see his face?”
Published in The Express Tribune, September 19th, 2012.
Reader Comments (24)
Sindh Latest Stories
MWM decides to boycott NA-250 re-polling
Our workers were kidnapped before elections and released after polling ended, claims Allama Amin Shaheedi.
From Kalat to Karachi: ‘Orphans’ with parents
Children sent to orphanage to save them from a life scarred by militancy.
Inside job?: US citizen of Pakistan origin rescued in encounter from DHA
Police suspect that the kidnapped person’s friend could have been involved with the gang.
Parallel courts: SHC orders police to arrest a tribal chieftain
The bench also sent a man, Tariq Ali, who had received Rs150,000 awarded by the jirga to jail.
SHC seeks record of SC decision to dismiss govt’s plea against local bodies elections
Another petitioner has gone to court seeking elections.
Election-related ads: SHC asks KMC to submit details of money collected
The high court says the funds can be used for payment of employees’ dues.
Polling stations or constituency won’t do, JI demands re-elections in all of Karachi
Party leaders say that the responsibility for deteriorating law and order situation will be on ECP.
Head and neck cancer: Doctors discuss precautionary measures
Smoking and beetle chewing were one of the major causes. If proper guidelines are shared, the cancer can be prevented.
Targeted attacks?: Former JI union council nazim among five gunned down
Abid Ilyas had served as the nazim of Liaquatabad Town’s UC-10.
Extortion case: ATC sentences two men to five years
According to the prosecution, the two men had extorted money from a trader of Temple Market, Abdul Sattar.
Recent Slideshows
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, redistributed or derived from.
Unless otherwise stated, all content is copyrighted © 2013 The Express Tribune News Network.
Technical feedback? [email protected]
I have no words to express my sentiments.
May Al-Mighty Allah rest their souls in peace. Ameen.
Recommend
So unfortunate , May Allah bless the departed souls with peace
Recommend
So long we do not tackle intolerance and extremism head on with a Big Push,innocent and peaceful people will keep on dying. We talk of big virtues about sanctity of human life but in practice we give a damn to human life.
I can only wish for return of peace but it is a pipe dream for now.
Recommend
So Sad !!!!
Recommend
Who ever they are, their motive is to creat uneasiness among different sects. Things are expected to go worst if some strict measures are not taken. May Allah rest the departed souls in peace.
Recommend
To target a community which has silently and effortlessly done and contributed positively so much to our society……..It is not terrorism, it is Barbarians…….I deeply condole with loved ones who have been martyred in this blast………
Recommend
Shias, Ahmedis, Bohras, Christians, Hindus …… nobody is safe in Pakistan. Really something everybody should sit and think !!! This is surely a path of destruction !!
Recommend
what’s more disgusting about this news is its title. The rest of us are not peaceful!!??
Recommend
Sad situation – what is Pakistan turning into? How can anyone have the right to take another persons life. Don’t these people realise that they may go scot free here but they do have to answer their Maker one day. There are better ways of solving problems than killing your own country people :(Recommend
it is well plan move by Raw and Khad Agency to attack each and every sect of Muslim Community…but the Pakistan government is not able to do something to prevent this type of terror which is engulfing common people is a sign of it’s Failed system and lack of ability to govern Pakistan.
Recommend
The Dawoodi Bohra the most loving, caring and peaceful community through out the world mourns the death of our beloved. To those who have lost their kin we say you are not alone. We are with you, we mourn with you.
May Allah Ta’allah give you sabr with the Dua of our Moula Mohammed Burhanuddin Saheb TUS and his Manus Aly Qadar TUS and Wasila of Imam Hussein (SA) at this trying moment.
May Allah also rest the souls of other Non Bohras who have lost their lives also in this tragic and most inhuman act by extremists.
Will there be justice? Is the only question left for the Pakistani Government.
Recommend
Every community or sect will suffer in this country except who follow , sympathize and Idealize saudi version of islam. Mark my words.
Recommend
Zeeshan you only focused on the title but you didn’t even comment about the people who suffered from these blast .. these are all the reasons which shows lack of unity among us .. please think positively .. All of us are peaceful and muslims , this title is related with dawoodi Bohra’s because they were the only people’s who suffered yesterday with those blast in majority.
may Allah bless all of us and keep us safe.
Recommend
Ahmadies are also very peace loving and law abiding citizens of Pakistan and yet they are targets of extreme violence. Intolerance and misguided zeal is responsible for this pointless mayhem.
Recommend
It is so hard to read all these news stories.. so hard to lose so many people, so hard to see the place where ive spend whole of my life, devastated and making headlines all over.. RIP all those who lost their lives…
Recommend
@Zeeshan: Dear, the title says “most peaceful” and not “only peaceful”, i think that should answer your question. May allah subhanahu grant sabr to those who lost there beloved ones.
Recommend
@Zeeshan: It is only people like you who accumulate, exaggerate useless issues, create hatred amongst each other and take such actions to take out jealousy and take revenge. And Mufaddal rightly said it is “most” peaceful not “only” peaceful. Illiteracy is also one of the root cause of killings in Pakistan.Recommend
Zeeshan are they not? Pls . Not only in Pakistan but all over the world they are known as
Most peaceful citizens who are taught by their leader to be faithful and loyal
to the country they
Stay in.
Recommend
@Zeeshan:
you all are very peaceful … only that bohras as a community never get into any destructive acts of burning , killings … thats why they are most peaceful
Recommend
Asslam o alaikum
why people are linking this to bori community my beloved cousine and his husband died due to bomb blast they are not bori b
all media and law in force want to link with each others community to save them self and link to others
i think it 100% person it is a terrorist attack who want to make pakistan not stand up in it feet and cannot put eye on eye with their enemies we know who are they
sometime
electricity
water
bomb blast
firring
killing
and specially media is doing the worst thing among them
Recommend
im a bohra but my Heart aches for all those who lost their dear ones whoever they are. a sad sad news it is shocking and heart breaking. what shall we do start Migrating or be ready to shed blood everyday. now they are killing you in your on house. not even waiting for you to come out please lets raise our voice before I’ts too late. lets unite against all evil.
Recommend
Our condolences to the bohra community of Karachi. Surely the most peaceful community has been targeted by the terrorists. Why? The bohras will never revenge this neither will they be forced to join the terrorists. God is great.
Recommend
I am deeply saddened by what has happened here and my heart goes out to all the victims. As im going through these comments I can see that people are frustrated and I think we are all in agreement that acts like these are not acceptable. However what i don’t see are suggestions to how we can stop this from happening again. If the people of Egypt can come together and overthrow an entire Government I don’t see why the people of Pakistan cant address these issues. It almost seems like the people of Pakistan have accepted these awful events as a way of life. I am a bit biased here as Im not Pakistani but i have visited Karachi numerous times and I must say it a fabulous city. WHAT IS THE SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM? Is Imran Khan the answer? Is a revolution necessary?
-a confused outsider
Recommend
Do understand that Hyderi is a dwelling of mixed communities. Not all that were injured or killed were from the Bohri community. If they had to target the Bohris, they would have targeted the jamaat khana and the homes inside the residential society about 2 mins drive from Dolmen Mall, where the actual blast occured.
I express my condolences with the people who were innocently killed because of the blast, but please do not sensationalize the issue. Ask the nature of attack from the people who have lived in North Nazimabad.
Recommend