An improvised explosive device exploded outside the office of a private courier company, the Overseas Courier Service (OCS), located at Raza Square, Gulshan-e-Ghazi, on Saturday morning. This was the fourth attack on the courier company’s offices during the last one month.
The target of Saturday’s attack was the newly-inaugurated office at the mobile market of Raza Square, within the limits of Malir City police station. SHO Imtiaz Niazi told The Express Tribune that approximately 1.5 kilogrammes of explosive material was used to target the office. The device was stored in an iron box and placed outside the shutter of the office.
The shutter and glass windows and doors of several neighbouring shops were shattered in the explosion. “No casualties were reported as the blast occurred at approximately 5:30am when the office was closed and so was the mobile market,” said Niazi, adding that they are investigating the attack but are clueless regarding the motive. No case was registered as the office manager is in the Punjab, said the SHO.
Previous attacks
The first attack on an OCS office was at Gurumandir in which its branch office was damaged in a low-intensity IED blast on May 23, in the limits of Soldier Bazaar Police Station. On June 24, a bomb exploded inside the office of OCS located at Hasan Square within the limits of Aziz Bhatti police station.
On the same day, a bomb hidden in a flowerpot was found and defused outside the OCS office at Al-Quds Apartments. District East SSP Pir Mohammad Shah suspects that extortionists may be behind the attacks. “It could be a case of extortion or a business dispute,” said SSP Shah, adding that the police could not conduct a proper inquiry because the OCS staff was not cooperating with them.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 29th, 2014.
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