Hayatabad suicide attack: Injured policemen shifted from HMC due to security concerns

Officials say arrangements for their safety were inconveniencing public.

PESHAWAR: Police officers injured in the suicide attack in Hayatabad on Wednesday were shifted to other medical facilities in the provincial capital for security reasons.

Official sources said all the wounded, with the exception of civilians, were shifted from Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) to a facility run by the armed forces and another private one. They added the area around HMC had been completely cordoned off for security reasons and this was proving to be a source of inconvenience for the public, which is why the injured officers were shifted out of HMC, added officials familiar with the matter.

“Security had been increased to protect the injured in case of a follow-up attack, but those arrangements created problems for the public,” said an official, requesting anonymity.

Those shifted included Peshawar Frontier Reserve Police Deputy Commandant Malik Tariq, his driver Minadar and gunmen Ismail and Noor Bahadur.

Two civilians also sustained wounds. Khudaye Nazar was discharged while Mir Wali is still undergoing treatment at a surgical ward at HMC.

When contacted, SSP Operations Dr Mian Saeed said there were no security concerns, but the police was in liaison with the armed forces and most of the victims were shifted to a specific hospital.

Two policemen were killed and six others, including the deputy commandant and two civilians, were injured when a suicide bomber hit a convoy in Hayatabad Phase-V.

The deputy commandant was on his way to work when the suicide bomber struck. Two of the commandant’s gunmen, Constables Lal Bahadur and Ibrar Hussain, were killed on the spot.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 13^th, 2015.