Men lob grenade at Rainbow Centre, killing 1, injuring 20 others

5 victims were Awami National Party workers.

KARACHI: A low intensity explosion outside a milk shop at Rainbow Centre in Saddar left one man dead and at least 20 others injured in what the police believe was a personal dispute. According to some officers, they were given reports that two men on motorcycles threw a hand grenade at the centre and fled.

The victims were mostly pushcart vendors and passersby. Five of them were identified as Awami National Party workers. "Enough is enough and we are sick of listing dead bodies of ANP workers," said ANP Sindh vice president Abdul Bari Kakar while speaking to The Express Tribune.

A senior police officer with the Special Investigation Unit told The Express Tribune that the Bomb Disposal Squad has yet to give a final verdict. He suspected that a dispute may be the cause of the attack. He said Lines Area was just behind the scene of the attack and that neighbourhood had lately seen a lot of tension and firing.

Special Investigation Unit SSP Raja Umer Khattab confirmed that the explosion was caused by a grenade attack.

According to Jinnah hospital's Dr Seemin Jamali, their accident and emergency ward received 13 men by 11:30pm, five of who were operated on and two who have been put under observation. "They had small injuries, abrasions, some even had abdominal injuries which suggests there was panic and bhagdar mach gai [a stampede]," she told The Express Tribune. "One man had shrapnel but for the others x-rays will tell, or if we open them up." At least two men were taken to Liaquat National Hospital, four to Civil hospital and two to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

The men were initially identified as Tanveer Khan, Syed Anwaruddin, Salahuddin, Ahmedullah, Sirajuddin, Younis Masih, Abdul Kabeer, Qaimdin, Salahuddin, Azizullah, Abdul Rasheed, Nooruddin, Mohommad Iqbal, Ammanullah, Naeem, Mohommad Ali, Abdul Qadir, Shankar, Zaryab Khan, Tur Khan and Walidaad Khan. Razzaq succumbed to his injuries at Civil hospital.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 8^th, 2011.