3 low-intensity bombs go off in Gujranwala

Three low intensity bomb blasts were reported to have occurred one after the other within a radius of about 1KM.

GUJRANWALA:

Three low intensity bomb blasts were reported to have occurred one after the other in the city within a radius of about one kilometre.

Eyewitnesses said that blasts occurred near two police stations and a rest house on Wednesday but that no loss of life was reported.

According to police officials, the first blast occurred early in the morning near People’s Colony police station.

This was followed by another blast near the Civil Lines Special Branch.

These low intensity blasts shattered the window panes of adjacent buildings. A portion of the boundary walls of the Civil Lines Police Station and the offices of the chief traffic officer were damaged by the blasts.

The third blast occurred at the police rest house causing the roof of one of its five rooms to collapse. The police said the rest house was vacant at the time.

A bomb disposal squad reached the site and defused another bomb found in a plastic can, which was also planted near the police station.

Police officials have started investigating the series of blasts that have sent a wave of panic among residents in the area.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10th, 2011.

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The officials alleged that Gorchani has asked the EDO (Education) Malik Irshad Ahmad Shad to sack Mustafa and appoint Akhtar Hussain as the centre superintendent. “Hussain is from Gorchani’s native village in Lal Garh and he followed his directives of letting the students cheat,” the officials said.

They said that all exam centres in Gorchani’s constituency had been received instructions to allow students to copy their papers. In Liaqatpur, several students were arrested for taking the exams on behalf of their friends.

“Invigilators said they founds three students sitting the grade 8 exams on behalf of their friends but that no action was taken against them on Gorchani’s orders,” the official said.

They said that Mazair has asked EDO Shad to appoint superintendents who would allow cheating in his constituency. “This is the reason behind Rojhan exam results being much higher than some districts,” the men said. Shad has denied all the allegations against him and Gorchani. “I changed the centre superintendents after they finished conducting class 5 exams because the class 8 exams needed fewer invigilators,” Shad said, adding that in other cases superintendent had been changed because their own children were sitting for the exams.

However, PEC Senior Research Fellow Dr Bashir Gondal said that the EDO was responsible for conducting transparent and fair exams in line with the PEC regulations. “The EDO can’t change the centre superintendents at whim. Almost all EDO’s have gotten their postings through political influence,” he said.

PML-N MPA Sardar Atif Mazari ruled out all allegations regarding the changing of centres for superintendents. “We have issued clear directives to the EDO that we expect a good result from each school in the exams but no one was given licence to cheat,” he said.

Gorchani said “I am unaware about the changing of any superintendents in the examination centres and all the allegations against me are false.” He said that today he had directed the EDO to change the Jampur superintendent after receiving complaints from students.

“The students protested and blocked the Indus Highway after they weren’t given full time to solve their Math paper,” he said, adding that he then issued a directive that the superintendent be removed.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10th, 2011.