Photo shows damage to the walls due to a bomb blast at Peshawar University on Wednesday, Jan 2, 2013.—Photo by Zahir Shah Sherazi

PESHAWAR: Security has been ramped up at the Peshawar University campus after an explosion rocked the varsity’s Institute of Islamic and Arabic Studies earlier on Wednesday.

Bomb disposal squad official Abdul Haq said that one kilograms of explosives were detonated through a timed device, damaging the Ibne Khaltoon conference hall on the second floor of the new academic block, shattering its doors and windows.

The SSP of University Police station Ihsanullah had earlier said that the explosion may have been caused by the explosion of an AC compressor but bomb disposal experts later confirmed it was a bomb blast.

He, however, said that nobody was hurt in the blast.

It was unclear who had carried out the blast.

According to the university administration, a female teacher suffered temporary shock due to the blast but was rushed to the hospital and was later said to be stable.

“The university administration convened an emergency meeting and has also beefed up the security on the campus while the entry and exit gates of the varsity are now also scanned. Outsiders are not allowed to enter without passes,” Akhtar Amin, media in-charge of the university told Dawn.com.

He said that the hostels were also being scanned and that the unwanted guests in the hostels would be expelled. Moreover, search of the other blocks would also be carried out to avert any such further activity.

Earlier last week a blast at the university’s Geology Department laboratory had left two teachers injured. The campus police had said about half a kilogram of explosives were used in the earlier blast.