Mansoor Khan AND SYED JAFAR ASKARI
KARACHI – At least 45 mourners were killed and 80 others wounded, some of them seriously when a suicide bomber blew himself up in the main Ashura procession on Monday afternoon at Light House traffic signal on MA Jinnah Road, the main traffic artery of the metropolis.
The incident sparked riots in the City in which three main markets and 60 vehicles were torched. The blast occurred when a Rangers personnel tried to stop the suspected bomber when he tried to join the procession. The CCTV of the City Government caught the moment when the bomb went off, throwing into air a large plume of dust and smoke, creating panic among the mourners who were on their way to Imama Bargah Husainan-e-Iranian, Kharadar from Imambragh Shah Khursan located near old Numaish.
The alleged bomber was said to be between 18 to 20 years of age, wearing black shirt and jeans tried to join the procession when he was intercepted by the law enforcer, who was also among those killed.
The law enforcing agencies had thrown a blanket of red plus security ring around the route of the procession and approximately 15,000 law enforcers and a number of sharp shooters had been posted on the building of the route of the procession. Sophisticated CCTV cameras were installed to monitor the route.
Police claimed that Musharf Baig, a traffic constable deployed at the link road signal saw suspect bomber first and signalled a Boy Scout namely Muzamil and Ranger personnel Abdul Razaq to intercept him. Abdul Razaq and Muzamil both were trying to intercept the bomber when it went off with a big bang, killing scores of people and injuring many others.
The bomber, the Boy Scout and the Rangers personnel all perished on the spot.
Ambulances of the various welfare organisations rushed to the spot and carried victims to different hospitals of city including Civil Hospital, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.
Witnesses said that place of incident was littered with dead bodies and injured and the whole places was splattered with blood.
They said that victims were rushed to Civil Hospital where doctors and paramedical staff initially were not available. The rescuers immediately shifted a number of injured to private hospitals.
Bomb Disposal Squad official Munir Sheikh said that some 16 kg high-intensity explosives were used in the suicide attack. Police officials, however, claimed that as the suicide bomber was not wearing the explosive jacket, his upper part of the body remained intact and most of the injured received pellets in the lower parts of the bodies.
Enraged people accused that the incident took place because of the security lapse. The first reaction of the angry crowd was against the deployed security personnel and miscreants snatched rifle from the cops and beat them severely.
In the melee that ensued, the law enforcers backed off in order to avoid confrontation. Meanwhile, miscreants resorted to firing and law enforcement personnel also resorted aerial firing to disperse the violent mob.
Unknown miscreants took advantage of the situation and torched more than 60 vehicles including the police mobile vans. The infuriated crowd torched various big markets in the downtown of the city.
Protesters also set ablaze two buildings at Light House market and ransacked shops including an arms shop. Police and paramilitary troops fired in the air to disperse the angry crowd. The unknown miscreants also used firearms which resulted in two deaths.
The blast created tension in different parts of the city including Ancholi society, Malir Jaffer Tayyar, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Rizvia, Orangi Town, Shah Faisal colony where unknown armed men resorted to aerial firing.
Meanwhile, three main markets, 60 vehicles were torched in violent fallout of Ashura procession. CountryÂ’s biggest medicine and plastic wholesale markets were burnt to ashes by miscreants, causing loss of billions of rupees.
The miscreants vandalized the whole of M.A Jinnah road from Light House to Boultan market, setting on fires thousands of shops that came in their way.
The traders claimed that they suffered loss of Rs30 billion. An arms shop was looted. The miscreants also used the looted arms on law enforcers and some of the innocent civilians fell prey to their firing.
The vehicles torched by the angry mob included police and RangersÂ’ mobiles besides cars, ambulances, KESC while six banks were also torched in the city.
The complete Light House market and adjacent market known as paper market having around 1000 shops were set on fire while Bolton Market and other adjacent markets having over 1500 shops were also been torched.
Interestingly, despite the tragedy, the mournersÂ’ procession continued to move forward despite the explosion and it concluded at Hussainain Iranian Imambargah at Kharadar. Fire tenders were unable to reach the spot because the procession was moving toward its destination after the blast.
It is pertinent to mention here that fire tenders were unable to extinguish the fire in last 24 hours.
Meanwhile, thousands of mourners attended the funeral prayers on Tuesday of five victims of the suicide blast which occurred in the main Muharram procession on Monday at Numaish.
The funeral prayers was led by Sheikh Salahuddin. The mourners chanted slogans against the US and Taliban but the crowd remained peaceful.
The huge procession went to two main graveyards from the University Road.
Two persons were buried in Wad-e-Hussain graveyard, while three bodies were taken to Mewa Shah graveyard. Seven bodies were sent to Chakwal, while two out of seven would be sent to Skardu later.
A body was buried in Korangi, while his funeral prayer was held separately. The suicide bomb blast had killed 43 innocent people so far while scores of others were injured.
Besides police and the Rangers, the volunteers of ISO and Imamia Scouts were deployed in and around the Shah Khurasan Road to handle any untoward incident. All mourners were allowed entry only after thorough physical search.
Lack of transport in the City forced large number people to arrive at Mehfil Shah Khurasan on foot. Hundreds of Ulema from across the country and politicians from different parities attended the funeral prayers.
Prominent participants of funerals included ISO Central Vice President Rehman Shah, Jafariya Alliance Chief Allama Abbas Kumeli, Allama Agha Aftab Haider Jaffery, Allama Hasan Zafar Naqvi, Allama Taqi Shah, Maulana Mirza Yousuf Hussain Mirza, Mulana Ghulam Abbas Raisi, Maulana Jawad Naqvi.
Renowned social worker Abdul Sattar Edhi also attended the funeral, while Deputy Speaker Provincial Assembly Shehla Raza, Provincial Interior Minster Dr Zulfiqar Mirza, Adviser to Chief Minster Waqar Mehdi, President PPP Karachi Najm-e-Alam, Secretary General PPP Karachi Saeed Ghani, Deputy Convener MQM Rabita Committee Dr Farouq Sattar, Provincial Minister Rashid Godial and Town Nazim Jawed Ahmed Khan also attended the funeral prayers.
Speakers at the funeral prayers termed the blast a conspiracy against Islam and the country initiated by US and the Taliban.
They demanded the government to hold judicial probe of the suicide blast and violence after the blast.
During the funerals prayers Shiite Ulema and different organisations also condoled with those newsmen whose family members were also killed in the blast.