Family feud: The reason behind television bomb

PESHAWAR: Seven people were killed while three others of the same family sustained injuries when a bomb planted inside a television set went off in the Sra Dargai area on the outskirts of Peshawar late Saturday night.

Earlier reports had suggested the cause of deaths to be a cross-fire between rival families, but Deputy Superintendent of Police, Sahibzada, confirmed that a remote-controlled bomb was planted inside a television.

Dispelling Adezai Peace Lashkar’s view – that it was a militant attack – a resident of the area said Syed Wazir had a dispute with a relative who had borrowed a television set from him, and returned it three days later.

The explosion took place late at night when Wazir’s family was watching a movie.

“I was home when I heard the explosion and started receiving a series of calls from everyone inquiring about us. It was a big explosion and the room, where the ill-fated young men were watching a movie, was completely destroyed,” he said.

The DSP said both rival families were residing at a 10-meter distance and had built pickets from which to target each other. The police had bulldozed these pickets and a search operation was underway, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th, 2012.