Bike blast kills three persons, injures 50 in Karachi
Tuesday, January 1st, 2013 9:31:07 by Tahir KhanA bomb blast in Karachi killed at least three persons and injured 50 others on Tuesday evening, a police officer said.
The bomb was exploded as people were boarding buses after they attended a public meeting of the Mutahida Qaumi Movement.
Police said preliminary investigation suggests that the bomb was attached to a motorbike and was parked near buses, which were carrying participants of the public meeting, in Federal B area of Karachi.
A police officer, Asif AIjaz Sheikh, said that the bomb was exploded through a remote control device.
Police said that the blast occurred as a MQM public meeting concluded and the participants were dispersing.
A police officer said that all those killed and injured had attended the meeting. The blast also smashed windows of the buses.
The MQM spokesman Wasi Jalil said that MQM was the target of the attack. Minhaj-ul-Quran chief, Tahir-ul-Qadri also addressed the public meeting and won support from the MQM for his upcoming long-march on Islamabad.
Doctors confirmed three deaths and 50 injured were brought to hospitals. Several injured were registered in critical condition.
A police officer Asif AIjaz Sheikh told the media that around 2 kgs of explosives were used in the blast and were planted in place of the motorcycle’s battery. Ball bearings were also used in the blast, he added.
According to eyewitnesses, the motorcycle on which explosives were planted was not present when the buses were parked and it was seen after the people returned to the buses from the rally.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Taliban had threatened last month to target the MQM in Karachi as part of their campaign to hit those who support the security forces against them.
Tags: Karachi blast, MQM, Tahir-ul-Qadri, TalibanShort URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=36779