Threat of violence: 17 injured in cracker blast in Ichhra

The shop owner says he has been targeted by extortionists.

LAHORE:

At least 17 people suffered injuries in a blast in front of a shop in Ichhra early on Friday morning.

The explosive had been planted on a bicycle, Operations DIG Rana Abdul Jabbar told The Express Tribune.

Model Town SP Tariq Aziz Sindhi said shops in the area were closed at the time but scores of people were sitting at roadside restaurants that remain open till late. Some of these people were injured by shards of window glass. Power supply in the area was out for several hours on account of a steel shelter that fell on a transformer.

Ten of the injured were given first aid on the spot and seven were taken to Services Hospital. As many as four were discharged later, but medics said three were in critical condition.

Witnesses said three men on motorcycles planted the explosive device next to the shop and fled.

The bomb disposal squad said at least 300 grams of explosives had been used but no ball bearings or shrapnel.

Momin Wali Shah, owner of an electronics shop that also sells motorcycles on instalments, said his shop had been targeted by extortionists.

“I had received threats from unidentified people who had demanded Rs 2 million” Shah said. He said he had reported the matter to police, who had not taken any action. He said his house had also been attacked by the extortionists earlier.

The shop owner registered an FIR at the Ichhra police station under sections pertaining to attempted murder, terrorism and extortion.

CCPO Chaudhary Shafiq Gujjar has constituted a team headed by the Model Town SP to investigate the matter and present a report in 24 hours.

Model Town SP Tariq Aziz told The Express Tribune that the shop owner had been running a money-lenders business. He said several shop keepers in the area had asked him to stop the business.

The SP doubted Shah’s claim that he had been targeted by extortionists. He said it appeared that he had been targeted by the same people who had been opposing his money lending business.

SP Sindhu said some people had been interrogated, most of them Pashtuns.

Ichhra market traders announced a shutter down strike on Friday to protest against police, and staged a sit-in to show solidarity with the shop keeper.

A lawmakers’ delegation, including Khwaja Hassaan, Akhtar Rasool and Pervaiz Malik, was sent by the chief minister to pacify the indignant traders to clear the road for traffic.

This was the fourth blast in the city this year. Previously, a scrap dealer, an MPA on a seat reserved for minorities and a shoe factory owner have been attacked. NO FIRs were registered following the previous attacks.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th, 2014.