KARACHI: At least three persons were killed while 30 others, including Rangers and police personnel as well as media persons, sustained injuries in twin bomb blasts on Saturday night near Nine Zero, the headquarters of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), in Azizabad.

The injured also include women and children. The first explosion took place near MQM’s Unit-153 situated within the Mini Food Street of Azizabad, opposite Morr Park, Azizabad No-8.

Police sources said they received information that an explosion had taken place near the MQM election office in Azizabad. The sources said the law enforcers and rescue officials were busy in rescue work when another explosion took place nearby which injured several law enforcers, rescue workers and media persons.

The injured were shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH).

During investigations, it was revealed that the activists and leaders of the MQM were busy in their election campaign at the MQM Unit-153 when the explosion took place.

Three persons, including a ten-year-old child, succumbed to their injuries while being shifted to hospital.

The dead include Abdur Rehman son of Saleem, 10, and Muhammad Yousuf while the third person killed remains unidentified.

The injured include Farhan, Usman, Muhammad Fayaz, Salman, Samer, Owais, Saeed Haider Hussain, Muhammad Rehan, Zulfiqar Pirzada, Khalid, Rida, Ashraf and 18 others.

A case has been lodged by Saleem father of Abdur Rehman at the Azizabad PS under section 788 of the anti-terrorism act.

Afterwards, tension prevailed in the area when armed men resorted to aerial firing and forced the shopkeepers to shut down their businesses.

Police sources said after the first explosion a suspect was seen by a policeman who signalled him to stop when another explosion took place and the suspect fled.

Additional Inspector General Karachi Iqbal Mehmood talking to The News confirmed that two explosions had taken place in the Azizabad area and added

that the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) in their initial report stated that the bombs were remote controlled and planted. The BDS staff stated that the bombs were about 1.5 kilograms each and one was placed in a soft container and the other was planted inside a cement block. Moreover, the bombs included nuts and bolts and no signs of ball bearings were seen in both the explosions.

Mehmood said he has formed a probe team under the supervision of the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) West Zafar Abbas Bukhari and sought an immediate report into the incident and the arrest of culprits.

Meanwhile, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the twin blasts in Karachi.

Our Hangu correspondent adds: The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) candidate for NA-39 Raj Muhammad escaped unhurt in a roadside blast near Behram Bridge in the Utmankhel area in Orakzai Agency on Saturday, local sources said.

The sources said Raj Muhammad was travelling in his car and was on his way to Mishti Mela in the central part of Orakzai Agency from Chaman Jana when his vehicle was targeted with an improvised explosive device (IED). Though the rear part of the vehicle was damaged in the blast, the JI candidate remained unhurt.

Our Parachinar correspondent adds: The driver was injured while candidate of the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) for NA-37 escaped unhurt in firing by unidentified gunmen in Kurram Agency on Saturday, sources said.

The sources said that APML candidate for NA-37 Kurram Agency Saqlain Abbas Bangash was on his way home into Luqmankhel village when unidentified armed men fired at his van near Landiwan village. He escaped unhurt but his driver Irshad Hussain sustained injuries. He was rushed to the Agency Headquarters Hospital in Parachinar where his condition was stated to be stable.

Our Peshawar bureau adds: The election office of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was damaged when a roadside bomb planted on Pajaggi Road went off early on Saturday morning. Residents and police said the device weighed almost three kilograms. The locals said they informed the police about the bomb. However, the explosives went off before the experts of the bomb disposal unit could reach the spot.

The blast damaged the office of the PTI, an adjacent shop and the gate of a nearby house. No casualty was reported as people were shifted to safer places after suspecting the bomb, connected with a timed device.

APP adds: At least two people were injured in a hand grenade attack on the office of the JI at Al-Gilani Road.

Police sources said that unknown men riding a bike lobbed a hand grenade at the JI office, leaving two people injured.

Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Justice (retd) Mir Hazar Khan Khoso strongly condemned the bomb blasts in Karachi which claimed innocent lives.

In their separate messages, they expressed grief over the death of innocent people. They prayed that Almighty Allah rest the departed souls in eternal peace and grant courage to the bereaved families to bear the loss with equanimity.

