LAHORE: An attack aimed apparently at Lahore’s police headquarters has claimed at least 8 lives and injured many more on Tuesday, 17 Feb. Jamaatul Ahrar – a breakaway faction of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the attack. Police said it was investigating whether the explosion was caused by bombs placed in a parked vehicle in the area, or by a suicide bomber.
The Pakistan governments ongoing military operation- Zarb-e-Azb in the tribal areas of North Waziristan as well as the arrests being made under the National Action Plan (NAP) are being blamed for the recent surge in bloody attacks across the country.
Inspector General Punjab Police Mushtaq Sukhera told media representatives that 5-8 kilograms of explosives were used in the blast.
He said, the target of the attack was police lines but chances are that the bomber may have been searched on his way inside so he exploded himself prematurely. He said, Ever since operation Zarb-i-Azb began, the army has been taking action against militants… and this was perhaps in reaction to that. We will examine CCTV footage to get more details on the attacker.
The explosion took place near the main gate of Police Lines in Lahore’s Qila Gujjar Singh area. The site of the explosion lies close to the headquarters of Pakistan Railways. Huge columns of smoke were reported in the air in the heavily populated area which was then quickly cordoned off by security personnel.
Several vehicles parked near the site of the blast reportedly caught fire and window panes in nearby buildings were also shattered.
Local reports suggest, a police Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) was among those killed in the attack while the wounded also included a policewoman.
According to Khawaja Salman Rafique- the Punjab government’s adviser on health, four people were confirmed dead while 23 others were wounded in the blast. He said the condition of one of those injured was critical.
Lahore District Coordination Officer (DCO) retired Capt Muhammad Usman said the wounded also included women and a child.
Eye-witnesses reported gunshots from inside the Police Lines, however security personnel have said that the shots were only fired by members of the law enforcement agencies after the blast.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, President Mamnoon Hussain and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan strongly condemned the bomb blast. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif also condemned the explosion and sought a report over the incident.
Ever since the Pakistan government set the NAP rolling, the country has seen a number of terrorist attacks – the major ones being attacks on imambargahs in Rawalpindi, Shikarpur and Peshawar.
Tuesdays explosion comes nearly three months after a massive bombing near the Wagah border claimed over 60 lives in Lahore. That was followed by a terrorist attack on Peshawars Army Public School on December 16, which claimed over 140 lives- mostly students.
The school attack resulted in the formulation of a National Action Plan to counter terrorism which also saw a parliamentary consensus on the formation of military courts in the country as well as renewed resolve to counter religious extremism by cracking down on terror financing and regulating madrassahs. The government also rolled back the moratorium on capital punishment following which a number of convicted terrorists have been hanged in jails across Pakistan. –
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