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16 die in Karachi mosque explosion

* Witnesses say death toll may rise
* Musharraf and Jamali condemn attack
* 15,000 troops guard Shia mosques

By Hasan Mansoor

KARACHI: At least 16 people were killed and 35 were injured when a high-intensity bomb ripped through a crowded Shia mosque about 100 yards from Numaish on MA Jinnah Road on Monday evening, police and medics said.

Deputy Inspector General (Investigations) Fayyaz Leghari said the similarity of the attack on Imambargah Ali Raza and the May 7 suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in Sindh Madrassatul Islam gave rise to the suspicion that “it might be a suicide attack”.

“The way the bomb exploded and the building was damaged indicates a suicide bombing,” he told Daily Times.

However, several witnesses said explosives were hurled into the mosque from the outside. “I was performing the ablution when I heard something land inside. I can recall a white car with a blue number plate speeding by,” medics quoted Ghulam Ali, one of the injured, as saying. “And then we heard the explosion,” he added.

“We have reports that 15 people have died in the imambargah blast,” Deputy Inspector General (Operations) Tariq Jamil said.

He said it was not yet clear whether it was a suicide attack. “Angry mobs did not allow us to gain access to the mosque,” he added. People had seen another suspicious bag inside the mosque. The bomb disposal squad checked it and declared it safe.

Soon after the explosion, angry mobs took to the streets. They started by turning over a bomb disposal squad van in the middle of MA Jinnah Road and later burnt it. They also burnt seven other vehicles in the vicinity.

The mobs also attacked a Shell petrol station located opposite the imambargah and burnt it. The police fired teargas to disperse the rioters. There were reports of gunshots in several localities, but no details were available.

Later, mobs attacked the medico-legal section of the Karachi Civil Hospital and beat up doctors and paramedics including the ones in the operation theatre of the emergency ward.

“Operations had to be stopped because of the mob. There were thousands of people outside the hospital,” Medical Superintendent Dr Mirza Raza Ali told Daily Times.

Violence also spread to the nearby Soldier Bazaar area and another petrol station was attacked. It was partially damaged.

Violence was also reported in Rizvia Society, Ancholi, Jaffer Tayyar Society, Malir and other parts of the city. Unidentified men opened fire late on Monday night at a group of people standing outside a blood bank at Numaish, injuring four people. One of the victims was critically injured.

Meanwhile, the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) on Monday called for a countrywide strike on Friday (June 4) to protest the killing of Mufti Shamzai.

MMA Secretary General Maulana Fazlur Rehman announced the strike after visiting Mufti Shamzai’s residence. He said the MMA would also hold a procession in Karachi against the murder on June 11 where senior MMA leaders including Qazi Hussain Ahmad and Allama Sajid Naqvi would address the public.

Agencies add: Rangers shot and killed two rioters who had snatched an Edhi ambulance. A third rioter was seriously injured.

President Pervez Musharraf on Monday expressed concern over Karachi’s law and order and asked the provincial authorities to take measures to ensure the government’s writ and take action against the people responsible for the imambargah attack.

He condemned the imambargah attack and condoled with the victims’ families. The president was also expected to take a ‘major’ decision on Sindh after a spate of recent terrorist attacks.

Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali also on Monday condemned the attack on the imambargah and asked the provincial government to control Karachi’s security situation. He condoled with the victims’ families. Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad on Monday called the imambargah attack the worst kind of terrorism. He said the attack was a conspiracy aimed at destabilising Pakistan.

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