Two blasts near imambargah leave Karachi reeling
The second blast took place right next to the gate of an imambargah, while the first one occurred 50 feet away from the place.
Some media and emergency rescue personnel were injured in the second blast along with security personnel.
Police and Rangers pushed back the large crowd and media persons after the second blast erupted. They completely cordoned off the area and said the place will not be declared cleared until the Bomb Disposal Squad completely sweeps all the shops.
The BDS said ball bearings were not used in the second blast and it was not as powerful as the first blast.
Security officials expressed fear that more explosives could be planted in the area.
Express News correspondent Nadeem Khan reported that BDS officials were busy collecting evidence from the first blast site and were not scanning the area for other bombs.
SSP SIU Raja Umar Khattab said the police were investigating the first blast when the second bomb went off. He said it cannot be confirmed if the first blast was a suicide attack or not. He, however, said explosives for the second blast were planted in a cement block.
DIG West Javed Odho said the first blast was carried out by a suicide bomber and killed a rickshaw driver and injured seven others.
Odho said the police force is working across the city and the assigned deployments will remain in their locations.
Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon, while speaking to Express News, said the government wants to prevent terrorists from reaching their targets and so far the criminals have failed to achieve their goals.
He said three to four big attacks were planned but the security forces foiled the plans because of timely intelligence.
Memon added that army will be on high alert for Karachi, Hyderabad and Khairpur on Muharran 9 and 10.
First blast
DIG West Odho said there was no congregation held at the imambargah when the first blast took place.
He told The Express Tribune that the first blast occurred in a rickshaw.
However, Express News correspondent Khan reported that the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber riding a motorcycle.
The reporter added that the motorcyclist crashed into a rickshaw and detonated the explosives.
Bomb Disposal Squad reached the spot to determine the nature of the first blast.
Rescue officials shifted dead and injured to local hospitals, while police cordoned off the area after the first blast.
According to initial details, the injured have ball bearings ripped into their bodies, while several body parts have been brought to the hospital as well. One of the injured is in critical condition and has been taken to operation theatre.
On November 18, two people were killed and more than a dozen sustained injuries in an explosion near an imambargah in Abbas Town, Karachi.
The explosives were planted on a motorcycle.
COMMENTS (49)
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@Unity: You're advocating faux unity. You may want to sweep an inconvenient truth for bland, self-censoring and sanitized rhetoric to create a false equivalence, when sectarian cleansing is quite lop-sided, but Iftikhar, who identifies himself as a moderate majority sect member, and Syed have correctly identified the problem in Pakistan and don't view terrorism simply as just a 'nuisance'. There is clearly a huge violent religious ideological mindset problem in Pak compared to elsewhere.
@cacha:
Lets not be coy. Not everyone follows the Wahhabi or Deoband creed or agrees that their puritanical and austere beliefs as the only true path or 'true tawheed'. The reason these groups are singled out is due to their inherent intolerance and propagation of demonization of other madhabs, such as Sunni Barelvis and Shia Muslims, to the point of justifying violence because they disagree with the others' practices.
@ZZQ: 95%+ of overall religious terrorism in Pak is attributed to Wahhabi/Salafi/Deoband/Sunni Islamist extremists. 5% are Sunni Barelvis, Shia extremists, who mostly target kill than commit bomb massacres, and other religious Pakistani extremists. It may not be PC, and uncomfortable but self-censoring on reality just to coddle privilege sentiments of a majority, is not addressing the problem.
Canada, which has no embassy in Iran due to Shia Islamists, doesn't mince words and lists Sunni Islamist Extremism in its national security report as the top external and internal threat, out of many others. No expert calls that assessment biased. No one is referring to Sunnism or Sunni moderates. It is not mere labelling, but identifying a problem.
Blocking and inconvenience, is a separate issue. Many of the locations are historically in the city center. It could be improved or resolved but will still be a lazy solution like banning cycles and phones. Even if moved elsewhere, the bloodshed won't stop because the biggest crisis facing Pak is extremism, militancy and terrorism of all hues and that needs to be tackled, not religious minority rights. But a strawman argument and deflection is brought up as a greater issue against a minorities' presence than a terrorist bomb blast which seems to be ignored. This is the issue, because it either reflects accepting extremism or prejudice.
These bomb blasts are conspiracies on Pakistan. These blasts were canducted by RAW, Mossad, FBI, KGB, SEAL team 6, UNO, UNESCO, NYPD etc
This is beyond barbarianism, Pakistan is our Gaza, we better check our own house before crying for other people's miseries. On a side note, before criticizing supreme court for acquitting terrorists, please read the law. Parliament can make a strict law for that purpose otherwise courts have no option but to freed them due to lack of evidence and witnesses.
NO thats not DARGAH thats IMAM-BARGAH @Hindustani:
Really there is a way in a single day Pakistan can overcome this terrorism in Pakistan. All the Pakistanis should participate in 10th Moharam Processions & Majlis Aza every where in the Pakistan to confront the terrorists and also show solidarity to Shia Muslim brothers. I assure you if it would happen the next day we are a new Nation i.e. Real Pakistani. I am serious..
@ishtiaer hussain: parliament has failed to make strict laws, nothing anyone can do!
Guys we need to let go of our biases if we want peace.
Why were the rioters responsible for burning livelihoods of hundred of thousand ppl ignored a few years ago. Were they not extremist???
For peace to prevail, do not simply consider terrorists of other sect as terrorists. They exist in both the sects.
Respect is a must for all the companions of our beloved Prophet (PBUH) and Ahl-e-bait alike. Disrespecting any of above is extremism. that simple.
@bigsaf...
U r seeing it with a biased lens. How easily have u labelled all other sects besides Shiaism as extremist.
The minority u r talking about blocks the daily life and business of majority for almost 6-8 days in Moharram all in the name of taking out processions. Why have all the Imambargahs built on almost all main roundabouts/junctions of the city?
All I am talking about is that These can be taken out in secluded and secure places outside cities ... why make it an issue???
AZAD ADLIA ZINDABAD.
@Kashmiri: You must be jocking RAW is not that capable.
@ZZQ: This was not a procession, but at a fixed place, an Imambargah.
When will folks realize that putting an onus on a faux non-symmetrical solution and burden onto the minority (apparently even if they get expelled to the outskirts, and bombed there, it won't count as loss of life or property as long as other non-minority folks aren't involved) will do nothing in tackling anti-Shia extremism or Wahhabi/Salafi/Deoband/Sunni extremist militants on a whole?
Poor Qasaab kept wishing that his trial could have been shifted to "free" judiciary in Pakistan and he would have been set free just like so many others with even worst criminal / terrorist records like Malik Ishaq and Co. Thank you Chief Justice for being so nice to terrorists, no wonder you are the only one they have never targeted
@Ali: "Indians should stop making fun when lives are lost. Our differences should not overpower our humanity."
Agree with you that loss of human life is no excuse for making fun of those affected. But most Indians who post here make fun of the megalomania of the Pakistani establishment and how it has totally messed up your country. We somehow hope your general public can be jolted out of their collective stupor in order for them to to take charge of their own country.
You don't have much time left - the bloodbath that accompanied Yugoslavia's breakup will pale in comparison to what will follow Pakistan's further disintegration.
@Nadir:
Quit acting like a proverbial ostrich which has its head dunked in sand. If RAW and Mossad nexus is responsible for such grotesque and insidious acts on our homeland, what in the cotton picking world is Rehman Malik and a plethora of security and intelligence outfits doing to counter such a threat? Now I am left wondering if you are Rehman Malik or Sharjeel Memon making such preposterous statements.
@Syed--- There is no such Islam as Al-Saud Islam.. Whenever you follow the right way of Tawheed, you are called Wahabi or deobandi.. What is Whabi or deobandi.. They only pray one Allah and are against praying many i.e. Tombs etc.. Is this not right?
They will ban every thing except for the terrorists and saboteurs.
@ Syed and Iftikhar... u guys are generalizing due to your sectarian biases... we need unity here and not comments like these.
@ all commentators, terrorists belonging to all terrorists organizations need to be banned and dealt with severely. Be it from LeJ, TNFJP, ISO, ex SSP, BJP, Shiv Sinha etc. backed by KSA, Iran or India all...
Till the time we call our factions right and others' wrong, there will be no peace. We all need to realize this and leave hypocrisy...
Islam never teaches to insult Gods or sacred personalities of other religion or sects. Then why do some do this??? How can any religion or sect believe on misbehavings like this???
A nuisance will be responded by another nuisance and thats the unfortunate part in our society. Two wrongs will never make one right so stop blaming each others and look at your own selves first. May Allah SWT help us all...
Kindly hang all terrorists…………..dont waste your and nation time in rental or mental cases…people life are more important
dear ssp niaz ali shab Kindly hang all terrorists…………..dont waste your and nation time in rental or mental cases…people life are more important
Both explosions were blasted on motorbikes. I wish some family member of Masheer Alam was in the casualities.
Tragic and deplorable. May Allah SWT have mercy on all the innocent.
Why cant the processions be taken out in a safe and secluded space out of the city to protect life and property and avoid creating undue pressures??? When will the religious fraternity let logic and sense overcome emotions!
@RAW is WAR: Well 2 wrongs do not make one right, just ignore the trolls mate.
Dear CJP,
Kindly hang all terrorists..............dont waste your and nation time in rental or mental cases...people life are more important
I see a foreign hand in there.
@Syed: I agree with you Syed sahab. Calling these barbarians as 'sunni' is an insult to us majority sunnis. Already they have started targeting others, and if we don't rise for own security then nobody will be safe in the beautiful country of ours.
**Don't worry our Honourable courts will let go free these "innocent terrorists" so that they could take more care of Pakistanis. Follow the link:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/469165/court-acquits-accused-in-2008-gpo-suicide-attack-case
Wake up people. We are going to be ruined by this unholy nexus of terrorists and judges.**
@ Ali . You made fun when Indians died in 26/11 attack in Mumbai.
Untill we all unite, this is going to keep happening.
Indians should stop making fun when lives are lost. Our differences should not overpower our humanity. These are Yazidee forces in action.
@Nadir: Familiar with your posts and I know you are sarcastic. But rest assured many of the likes you get will be by taking your post at face value.
Our honourable Supreme Court granted bail to Malik Ishaq of Lashkar-e-Jhanghvi who has allegedly slaughtered 70 innocent Shia Pakistanis in different incidents of terrorism. There were 12 eye-witnesses to his crimes (seven of whom have already been mysteriously killed and rest of them are appealing courts and government for protection because they have received serious threats from the terrorists of LeJ). This is how our Supreme Court encourages and glorifies terrorists.
I urge my sunni brothers to denounce the saudi based wahabi cult that is taking over pakistan for too long. this cult will not spare you either and i hope you believe me on that. Is this the Islam Prophet Mohammad (pbuh&p) brought? You have to choose between Prophet's Islam vs Aale Saud's Islam.
Raw and CIA involved in this
Gov must expose the people who are behind these attacks
"Amar Singh"'s death caused it !
@indian
No. This is different breed of terrorist. They targets Shias and thinks they are serving Islam.
Pakistan's Gaza continues to bleed. :(
Looks like CIA-RAW-Mossad are busy.
Time to hang our own Kasabs otherwise this bloodshed continue unabated
angry at kasab's death??
It is high time we began distinguishing between the peaceful Muslims and the extremists (banned Wahabbi/Deobandi terror organizations like SeS, Lashkar this and that) to finally arrive at taking concrete action against the elements responsible.
@Hindustani A Dargah is a mausoleum shrine and an Imambargah is a community center for the Shia muslims.
@Hindustani: Right word would be Masjid-o-Imambargah...Usually the mosques from Shia sect has two parts. Prayer hall is termed as Masjid and lecture hall is termed as ImamBargah. Dargah is tomb.
rehman malik will now announce to ban rickshaws
now rickshaws will be banned.
Did not Mr. Malik ban vehicle parking in a 1000 mtrs radius from any sch Dargah? I hope I was right in calling it a Dargah.