It was when the BDU arrived that it was discovered the bag was full of nothing but sand and gravel, said Bittani. PHOTO: ONLINE/EXPRESS
Panic gripped locals as a sandbag was mistaken for an improvised explosive device in Char Ganno Bazaar on Monday morning.
While talking to The Express Tribune, a City police official said police and security forces received information about a ‘suspicious-looking bag’ and rushed to the site. The area was cordoned off and all nearby markets and schools were shut down. Mall Mandi Road was also blocked for traffic moving towards Umar Adda.
The bomb disposal unit was summoned from DI Khan. Ayub Bittani, a local journalist, said the equipment available with the police was inadequate to detect the explosive. It was when the BDU arrived that it was discovered the bag was full of nothing but sand and gravel, said Bittani.
Meanwhile, City police arrested a proclaimed militant, who had a bounty of Rs0.5 million on his head. Atiq was detained with two accomplices during a raid.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 24th, 2015.
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