Narrow escape: ANP leader remains unhurt in bomb attack

Two people injured when explosive material was thrown at police mobile near Sohrab Goth.

KARACHI: A leader of the Awami National Party remained unhurt in a bomb attack in SITE on Friday morning while two passers-by were wounded when a bomb targeting a police van hit their vehicle near Sohrab Goth.

The first explosion took place at around 9:15am when a well-known labour union leader, associated with the ANP, Noor Muhammad, was passing through the Frontier Colony within the SITE 'A' Section police station. "I was on my way to the office when I came under attack," Noor Muhammad told The Express Tribune. "I was being threatened to pay extortion, about which I also informed the police. This attack is linked to those threats." Police and experts of the bomb disposal squad also reached the site and collected evidence. "The explosive material, weighing around 100 grammes of explosives, was buried under the road," said SHO Maqbool. "Fortunately, the culprits failed in their attempt."



He was the second ANP leader to have been attacked this week as another leader was attacked in Orangi Town on the night between Wednesday and Thursday.

"The law enforcers have failed to protect the lives of people. A number of our men have been targeted in Karachi but the law enforcement agencies were unable to foil any of the attacks," said the ANP spokesperson while condemning the recent attack.

"Interestingly, our men are attacked despite informing the police about the threats to their lives."

Separately, two people were wounded when unidentified persons threw explosive material at a police mobile near Sohrab Goth. "We were busy in snap checking when suddenly an explosion took place," SHO Arif Afridi told The Express Tribune. "The bomb concealed in a cane was thrown by unidentified persons from the Sohrab Goth flyover. We remained safe in the attack but unfortunately, two men on a high-roof van were wounded." The injured, identified as Abdul Ghaffar and Muhammad Hussain, were taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where doctors termed their condition out of danger.



Turab Ali, City Court Maalkhana's district Central in-charge, was wounded while checking a hand grenade, which was case property, inside the Maalkhana. The injured was immediately shifted to Civil Hospital, Karachi for medical treatment. Extra contingent of law enforcers also reached the site and inquired about the incident. The Maalkhana was temporary closed following the incident. DSP Mushtaq Tanoli said that it appears the incident was an accident.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 1^st, 2014.