Pre-poll violence continues: Eight injured in bomb attack near MQM office

Coordination committee blames militant wing of ‘Punjab-based party’.

MULTAN/ QUETTA:

Angered by a wave of bombings on its election offices, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) fired a salvo at “one of Punjab’s largest parties” on Thursday, claiming that the latest attack on the party’s Burns Road office had been mounted by that party’s militant wing.

At least eight people were injured in Thursday’s attack in the latest round of violence ahead of the May 11 elections. Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the blast. Both of them were also injured.

On Saturday, three bombs, two of which targeted the MQM, killed three people and wounded 49 others in Karachi.

“This militant wing consists of religious extremists, and people have seen leaders of Punjab hanging out and travelling with these infamous terrorists,” the MQM’s coordination committee said in a statement. Snapshots of these meetings had also appeared in newspapers, it said.

The MQM shared the findings of the report of its investigative committee, and said that the leader of the party responsible for the blast held a rally in Sindh on Thursday and claimed that terrorists had come from Punjab as part of the rally.

Alleging that the party in question had not condemned the attacks against the MQM, it called upon the caretaker government to take action.

MQM chief Altaf Hussain said that his party would not be cowed down by these attacks. “The terrorists will run out of ammunition but they won’t be able to defeat us,” he said.

According to the police, a remote controlled device was planted inside the ablution room of a mosque close to the MQM office for NA-250 and PS-112in Burns Road.

Around two kilogrammes of explosive material was used in the bomb, said DIG South Ameer Sheikh.

Balochistan unrest

There were also five election-related blasts in Balochistan on Thursday. However, no loss of life was reported.

Militants blew up two schools designated as polling stations for the May 11 general election, police said, just as the teachers’ association in the province announced to end its protest and agreed to carry out election duties.

A boys’ primary school and a middle school were bombed in the village of Chattar in Naseerabad district.

“The school buildings were designated as polling stations for the May 11 general election and we think that they were targeted for this reason,” district police chief Tahir Allauddin told AFP.

Another police officer confirmed the incident and said nobody had yet claimed responsibility.

Separately, three blasts shook Quetta and Khuzdar on Thursday as well. The blast that occurred at the Qambarani Road in Sariab locality of Quetta was reported to echo far and wide but no loss of life or damage to property was reported.

Two blasts occurred in Khuzdar, the first of which took place near the house of Balochistan National Party (Mengal) candidate from NA-269, Abdul Rauf Mengal. The second blast occurred close to a police station in the Nhal area.

The blasts came the same day teachers of Balochistan agreed to perform election duties, explaining that they has initially backed out because of security concerns.

PML-N candidate attacked

A candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League –Nawaz (PML-N) in Muzaffargarh district survived an assassination attempt by a rival candidate on Thursday. Around 10 PML-N supporters received minor injuries in the attack.

The candidate, Syed Qaim Ali Shamsi, was contesting from PP-261 against Aashiq Gopang, an independent candidate.

He was on a political campaign with his supporters and was going to rural area, Girih. Upon reaching Basti Bhangar on his way, he was stopped by 50 armed supporters of Gopang who launched an attack.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 3^rd, 2013.