Police ward off a blast site. PHOTO: REUTERS/ FILE
KARACHI: At least two people were killed and 28 injured when two cracker explosions took place at Jamaat Khanas in Ayesha Manzil and Metrovile areas of Karachi on Tuesday evening.
According to law enforcement agencies unidentified people riding on a motorcycle threw the crackers inside the Aga Khan Jamaat Khana situated on main Shara-e-Pakistan just as prayers were being held.
Following the explosion, extra contingents of law enforcers including Rangers and police reached the site and cordoned off the entire area. A unit of the bomb disposal squad was also called at the blast site.
Following initial investigations, BDS personnel said that that the explosive material was concealed in a tennis ball and contained around 200 grammes of explosives and ball bearings.
DSP Saleem Akhtar Siddiqui while talking to The Express Tribune said that a woman and a man who were sitting on the benches in the Jamaat Khana were wounded as a result of the blast.
"A hand grenade fell inside worship place of Ismaili community, killing a woman and a child and wounding 26 others," senior local police official, Aamir Farooqi told AFP.
They were shifted to Aga Khan University Hospital for medical treatment.
Emergency has been imposed in the hospital where the deceased and injured have been shifted.
Another cracker was lobbed at a Jamaat Khana in Metrovile area of SITE that injured two people, local police official Asif Ejaz Sheikh said.
Cracker explosions in Hyderabad and Nawabshah
There were also reports of cracker blasts in Hyderabad and Nawabshah.
The explosion in Nawabshah took place in Mohini Bazaar when unidentified men threw a cracker nearby and fled.
The explosions in Hyderabad took place near Hyder Chowk, Lateefabad and Civil Hospital.
The injured were shifted to the Civil Hospital for medical treatment. One person was killed during the explosions.
"They have mostly targeted stalls which were selling Pakistan flags," said Bureau chief Hyderabad Junaid Khanzada.
COMMENTS (48)
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@Syed A. Mateen:
Pakistan IS destroyed before our eyes. Very very unfortunate that one more Islamic country is being destroyed while rest of the world is progressing.
Wake up people and the politicians - a ruined Pakistan is no good to anyone. And to the terrorists, when they get sick or their family get sick or injured, they shamelessly end up at Aga Khan HOSPITAL.
Media including Tribune can play a possitive role in exposing the terrorists or those who harm Pakistan. This present Pakistan was not what was intended!
May Allah bless Pakistan and it's People.
@Everyone: get your facts rights. Respect your thoughts and prayers. There are 3 death casualties and 39 injured till morning sources. I can say this firmly as I belong to same location as attends this worship area.
I extremely condemn for those users heating up this topic and bringing inter-conflict issues. Please pray for everyone as we believe in humanity before nations/sects/religions. God bless everyone.
Sir Sultan Muhamad Shah Aga Khan (2 November 1877 – 11 July 1957) was one of the founders and the first president of the All-India Muslim League. His goal was the advancement of Muslim agendas and protection of Muslim rights.
@Introspection: Jamat Khana=House of Worship
@Farhan: ''As an Aga Khani I weep. As a Pakistani I fear. As a human being I despair.
Mohammad Ali Jinnah created Pakistan.
Pakistan Army created Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
It is abundantly clear now which Pakistan was more islamic & civilized than the other.''
................................................... Can you please make some time from weeping and ask your father/uncle/close relatives (elder Aga Khanis) why the Aga Khani community in Karachi / East Pakistan supported the Army action ('Kafir-qatl') in 1971? Does anyone realise that 1971 is the 'mother of all intolerance' for Pakistan.
Please don't forget to post their answer(s).
@Ali: please check your sources first
We need to stop with conspiracy theories and negativity, Pakistan will rise when we are positive and working together! Let us pray for the woman and her child. These are our brothers and sisters.
Mr Jat I am sorry to inform u that terrorist r not Muslim or Hindu they r just terrorist without hearts they just blame their religion & make other people suffer how can u see rakhi in his wrist?
What are Jamaat Khanas? Can someone please explain?
RAW
Stop this "cracker " attack thing: call spade a spade; it was a hand grenade
May Allah help and protect us from this madness, for the govt wont do anything... it would rather be defensive-politically, ideologically and millitarily
Qaid Azam, himself was an Ismaili Muslim. If he knew his sect would be declared as Kafir in Pakistan, I am sure he would have never created Pakistan. Only if he knew.
@Karachiwala
You should be ashamed of yourself for blaming PTI for this incident.
The terrorists would not rest during the holy month of Ramadan; they would not refrain from their evil deeds on the blessed day of Eid and now on Pakistan’s Independence Day eve they attack again. Our prayers and condolences go out the families of innocent worshippers who lost their lives, and the ones who were injured. Terrorists have no religion or sect they only follow evil of death and destruction. We know the pains of the Pakistanis and stand by them in their time of grief. Together we need to tackle this coward enemy who attacks from behind and defeat them once and for all. We all need to stand up to them together.
Abdul Quddus DET-United States Central Command
This is happening right in the heart of Karachi, this nation's biggest city and financial hub. It's about time that the government does a serious, full-blown crackdown on all the unauthorized madressas operating in the major cities.
In 1947 all muslim sects were against the non-muslims (Sikhs & Hindus).
In early '50s Shias and Sunnis were against Ahmedis.
In 1971 'better muslim' West-Pakistanis were against 'lesser muslim' East-Pakistanis.
In the '80s all Sunni sects were against the Shias.
Since '90s two Sunni sects --- Brelvi & Deobandi are against each other..
With the hourly horror scenario in Pakistan, the wire-pullers have well-aimed created deep cracks in the society. They have very successfully isolated all religions, sects and ethnic groups from each other. The attack on the Ismaili Jamatkhana is now the last nail on the coffin!
The terrorists are exploring new avenues.
After Mohajirs/Pathans, Sunnis/Shias, Barelvis/Deobandis, Muslims/Christians and now Aga Khanis.
The terrorists wants to see Pakistan in complete choas.
And this is what is happening after the Press Conference of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan who vowed to hold negotiations with the militants and terrorists, or in case of failure to fight back against them to eliminate them from the grass root level.
The cracker attacks by the terrorists on Agha Khan Jamaat Khana between Karimabad and Aisha Manzil is reply of the terrorists to Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.
I will again repeat my words that now terrorists are exploring new avenues.
The law enforcing agencies should try to read my comments in between the lines.
@Farhan: As an Aga Khani I weep. As a Pakistani I fear. As a human being I despair.
What is the use of crying now ? What were you and your forefathers thinking when they opted for this godforsaken place instead of the land of Mahatma Buddh and Mahatma Gandhi ?
@Parvez: Sir, you are wrong. The two unidentified people riding on a motorcycle who threw the explosive tennis ball were seen by the bystanders. The one who was did the throwing was wearing a "rakhi" on his wrist, and the driver of the mobike had a "star of david" tattooed on his forehead.
And Sir, you very well know a Muslim cannot kill a fellow Muslim, especially if they are Pakistanis.
THIS what is happening, just can not happen without internal support.
I wonder why Pakistani can fight Indians but not Indian agents and terrorists TTP {reported and somewhat confirmed by Pakistanis). Is there any cross wires in the brains?
@Farhan, you wrote 'Pakistan Army created Islamic Republic of Pakistan. It is abundantly clear now which Pakistan was more islamic & civilized than the other." No sir, I disagree. Its Mr Jinnah who gave you a state based and identified with one religion. In the beginning it was only Hindus who were targeted and you ignored that.
this is what islamic republic of pakistan
@Hari Om.
This attack is certainly not without irony as you have shown. Ironic owing to the “safe haven for the Muslims of the Indian Sub-Continent” turning into a place of such toxicity for minority sects of Islam that if the founder of the safe haven, Mr. M.A. Jinnah, were alive today, he would have been in mortal peril for having been born as an adherent of the Ismaili / Khoja sect of Islam, as this incident shows.
plz get your facts right!! Two people killed. A woman and her child merely 4 years. And 40 injured. May Allah give them strength. aamen.
People are dying in provinces outside Punjab every day and Punjabi party is playing flute.
Pakistan can only pass anti-india resolution.....but not the resolution against there terrorist brothers and sisters........
These incidents, including the so-called blast in Quetta a few days back in which supposedly 30 policemen died, are all being orchestrated and staged by Pakistani agencies to put the blame on India, Iran and Afghanistan.
As an Aga Khani I weep. As a Pakistani I fear. As a human being I despair.
Mohammad Ali Jinnah created Pakistan.
Pakistan Army created Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
It is abundantly clear now which Pakistan was more islamic & civilized than the other.
No one has died or injured, just some noise-making crackers were set off. This is being done by the Agencies to divert attention of Pakistanis from the real problems and an attempt to create a sense of false unity in this divided country.
I would humbly like to ask the concerned authorities, what is the fate of a man who kills an unarmed person in broad day light and then accepts what he did, turns him over to police?
What is happening with Mr. Mumtaz Qadri?
Lets either shower him petals of rose and release him, or punish him if court of law says so. Lets be on one side or another.
Jis mulk mae insaaf nahi hoga wahan shaitaan ka raaj hoga.
Lashkar-e-Taiyaba Chief Hafiz Saeed warned India of terror strikes during the Independence Day celebrations.
I think his Lashkars got confused between Mumbai and Karachi.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/589584/as-afghanistan-endgame-looms-a-deadly-edge-to-india-pakistan-rivalry/
It continues to remain baffling to me both as a Non-Pakistani and Non-Muslim that Pakistan, a country claimed to have been founded to provide a safe haven for the Muslims of the Indian Sub-Continent, sees such frequent incidents of violence pitting Muslim against Muslim. Having an incident targeting adherents of the original religion of the founder of Pakistan, Mr. M.A.Jinnah and that to on the eve of the Independence day of Pakistan, trashes any notion of the safe haven concept. How can this be so? Why not just live and let live?
This report is not accurate, eye witness reports that the incident happened before prayer times, no one was killed and a small number of women were injured.
This is deeply heartbreaking!! My sympathies and condolences with all Ismaili Pakistanis... I remember working amid this resilient group of people a couple of years back. This is an appalling, despicable, and criminal act and whoever did this should be charged under the strictest laws!
These terrorist are desperately trying to start a civil war in Pakistan. The tolerance level of Pakistanis is extremely high when it comes to terrorism. I am scared that this extremely high tolerance level will cause us our country and we may end up like Afghanistan. Shame on our leaders and shame on us for being so tolerant to terrorism.
Mr. Interior minister please take note. Our patience is over, time for this government to take do something other than just talk.
But PTI still wants to talk to them.
This is terrible. It seems that the pro vincial Government has failed in ensuring life and property of the citizens.It is about time that some serious action to ensure law and order is undertaken.Even if this means imposing Governors rule,so be it.
This attack is unacceptable and calls for strongest condemnation.
No anti-terrorism policy, no terrorists hanged or killed after trails in courts, and open appeasement of their parties by elected officials. These attacks on people of different beliefs should be no surprise. What is even more disturbing is that we have not hit the bottom of the barrel yet and things are going to get worst.
Thanks to Zia ul Haq and strategic depth. Even the Sunnis are not safe in Pakistan.
welcome to the new age of terrorism..... new party PTI- with new terrorism through tennis ball- next will be bat. we knew this.
Very appalling and awful; now these insane terrorists gone mad in targeting peaceful Muslim communities and their pray areas.