Livelihoods ruined: Bomb blast destroys 29 shops in Lower Dir

Police say device was planted in a market specifically for women.

TIMERGARA: The owners of 29 shops saw their livelihoods go up in smoke after an explosive device planted by unidentified militants ripped through China Market of Timergara Bazaar, Lower Dir Monday night.

No casualties were reported as a result of the explosion in the market which is said to be specifically for women.

Timergara SHO Roshanzada said the device was planted in a pressure cooker and exploded at 9pm. He confirmed there was no loss of life or injury as the market was closed at the time.

The policeman said the area was cordoned off and the fire brigade, with help from the Al-Khidmat Foundation, battled for hours to extinguish flames leaping from some of the shops. He added that shopkeepers reached the market and tried to enter, but were initially stopped by the police due to security concerns. They were allowed to enter once the area was cleared by the bomb disposal unit (BDU).

Roshanzada said the BDU ascertained that 10 kilogrammes of explosives were used in the device, adding that a search operation was under way to nab the culprits. However, no arrests were made till the filing of this report.

The loud explosion was heard far and wide, spreading panic in surrounding residential areas.

Traders’ union president of Timergara Bazaar, Haji Anwaruddin, told journalists that dozens of shops had been destroyed and each of the businessmen lost millions of rupees. He recalled that a similar attack ruined several shops at China Market some years ago.

Meanwhile, National Youth Organisation Provincial President Sangeen Khan condemned the blast and demanded the government compensate affected traders.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 27^th, 2014.