Death anniversary: Shrine targeted in Tank

DERA ISMAIL KHAN:

Unidentified criminals made two failed attempts to disrupt the three-day urs of Hadayatullah Shah, a religious figure, in Ama Khel village, roughly 25 kilometeres from Tank.

The first explosion occurred on Thursday night, the second day of the urs. An improvised explosive device went off near Shah’s house which is close to the shrine where the congregation was being held.

“The bomb was planted in the ground near Shah’s house at an approximate distance of 100 metres – no one was hurt,” a Mullazai police station official told The Express Tribune.

A second blast occurred Friday morning, also at a distance from both Shah’s house and the shrine. No loss of life was reported, however, some furniture was damaged.

Organisers of the urs had received pamphlets from the Taliban threatening there would be repercussions if the urs was held at the shrine, the official added

After these threats, strict security measures were in place at the venue. Precautions included checking visitors before they crossed any of the four entry points. A report has been filed at the  station, but no one has been apprehended.Tribesmen from areas adjacent to Tank, including of the Marwat tribe, travel to Ama Khel to mark the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 6^th, 2013.