Case of mistaken identity: Minor girl killed in grenade attack by extortionists

The target was the former owner who moved abroad about six months ago.

KARACHI: A six-year-old girl lost her life while her younger brother was injured in a hand grenade attack at a house in PECHS, on Friday.

Law enforcers claimed that a hand grenade was hurled at the bungalow located on Khalid Bin Waleed Road in PECHS Block 2. As a result of the explosion, two minor children were critically injured. They were shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre but the girl succumbed to her injuries on the way. The deceased was later identified as Uzma, daughter of Abdullah. Her four-year-old brother, Amanullah is undergoing treatment at the hospital.



On receiving information about the incident, a heavy contingent of law enforcers reached the site. Bomb disposal squad's experts were also called in to determine the nature of the blast. The experts confirmed it was a hand grenade explosion.

Sources privy to the matter told The Express Tribune that the attack was a result of the non-payment of extortion money as Akhtar Khan, the former owner of the house, had been previously threatened by the extortionist mafia.

"This was not the first attack related to extortion targeting the former owner," said the sources. "His bungalow and office in Saddar was also attacked by armed motorcyclists a few days ago."

Meanwhile, Jamshed Division SP Rana Shoaib, while talking to The Express Tribune, confirmed that the incident was related to extortion. He said, however, that the target of the attack was the former owner of the bungalow. SP Shoaib further clarified that the police had not been informed about the threats earlier.

"The former owner moved abroad about six months ago. A new family currently resides in the bungalow," SHO Safdar Mashwani told The Express Tribune. "The victims of the attack were the children of the bungalow's watchman. They were playing in the yard when it occurred."

The officer added that the family and the watchman were not present at the bungalow at the time of the attack.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 28^th, 2013.