Man, who spotted first bomb a month ago, killed by second

Ismail had called in the police to report the bomb on August 13. On September 18, he fell victim to a bomb.

KARACHI: On August 13, Ismail was the one who reported the presence of a suspected bomb near Dolmen Mall to the authorities. The bomb was defused and a disaster averted. On September 18, however, Ismail’s luck ran out and he was killed in another blast in the same area.

At 7:30 pm on September 18, the world came crashing down for a Dawoodi Bohra family in Hyderi market. Ismail had taken his one-year-old nephew, Shabbir Aun Ali, with him for a stroll outside. As he reached the shop of the popular Mooni Soup outlet, a powerful bomb planted by the roadside exploded.

Ismail and Shabbir were killed on the spot. Shabbir was the only child born to Aun Ali after 10 years of marriage. He is completely lost. He was heard saying, “I wish I were there instead of Shabbir,” to someone on the cell phone.

Everyone in the area knew Ismail, who made a living making school uniform ties. He was a social worker who loved humanity. He used to help out everyone in the area with whatever he could.

Abul Fazl Abbas’s white clothes were smeared with blood. He was the first one to reach the scene. He picked up the bodies of Ismail and Shabbir, which were later taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

“We shifted the victims in our own vehicles as the rescue volunteers, Edhi and Chippa, arrived later,” he said. “Ismail used to keep an eye on the surroundings and also sniffed out the bomb on August 13.” Only two days ago, the community members had been warned to be mindful of any suspicious activity and keep the neighbourhood clean, Abbas told The Express Tribune.

The bomb was planted on a motorcycle, according to the shopkeepers of Mooni Soup and Makati Sons and Tasbeeh Wale, located opposite to each other. Hassan Ali Makati said Ismail grew up in his arms. “My son and I were unloading merchandise from a rickshaw and had just bent down to pick up the goods when the bomb went off,” he said. “The window panes of our shop were shattered, and I believe if we had been standing upright, we would have been killed also.”

While most of the people did not believe the bomb meant to target the Dawoodi Bohras, the bomb went off when most people were returning from prayers at the community hall.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 19^th, 2012.