Third-time lucky: Old PPP hand escapes Lyari hand grenade attack

Habib Jan Baloch survives after men on motorcycles attacked his brother's estate agency.

KARACHI:

Just two days after Lyari’s Peoples Amn Committee was disbanded, one of its key workers, Habib Jan Baloch, who has been with the Pakistan Peoples Party for 35 years, survived a third attack on his life.

On Saturday, four men on two motorcycles chucked a hand grenade at his brother’s estate agency in Old Kumar Wara at 2:45 pm.

“Apparently, I was their prime target,” Habib Jan told The Express Tribune. “I don’t know what to feel. Should I be happy that I survived or should I worry about my brother and colleagues who were injured. They lost a lot of blood.”

Habib Jan regularly meets people at the office but was late by a few minutes. The injured Mujahid, Habib Jan’s brother, Pir Muhammad, Omer Rafiq and Arif and were taken to Civil hospital. Fifteen-year-old Bilgit who was outside the estate agency was also injured and taken to a private hospital.

City Town SP Qamar Raza Jasqani said the police were preparing sketches.

The Bomb Disposal Squad said that the hand grenades were Russian RGS-65, carrying 250 grams of explosive material.

A day before the attack, Habib Jan had told The Express Tribune that he felt the future of Lyari was positive and he was glad for the government’s support. The attackers wanted to sabotage their efforts to make Lyari peaceful. This was the third attack on the office.

The previous two attacks were during the 2008 elections.

Sindh Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza, Uzair Baloch (the head of the now-defunct PAC), Sindh Assembly Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza visited him.

This was not the only violence on Saturday. At least eight more men were targeted, including five political activists and supporters — three of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and one each of the PPP and the Awami National Party.

Fear gripped Lyari after a former MQM unit incharge was shot in Dhobi Ghat. Another MQM worker was killed in firing in Agra Taj Colony, Lyari and another at Burns Road.

A PPP man was shot dead within PIB Colony limits. An ANP supporter, who was also an estate agent, was gunned down in Scout Colony within Mobina Town limits.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 20^th, 2011.