After Islamabad, its Karachi Now !
By Animesh Roul
After Sunday’s suicide blast in the capital Islamabad, now its Karachi’s turn to face terrorists' wrath. Monday evening, the port city of Karachi was rocked by a series of 8 low intensity blasts, which have killed at least two , while injuring more than 50 odd people. Soon after, panic stricken people stoned and vandalized many shops and cars. Rioting broke out in most part of the city following these blasts.
According to media reports, the first blast occurred in a garbage dump, near the Banaras Chowk petrol pump, followed by another after a few minutes on a nearby footpath, injuring 16 persons. A third blast occurred in a truck in North Nazimabad area of Shahra-e-Noor Jehan near Sohail mosque, injuring eight. The fourth blast, in Haidri Children School, injured another eight. The fifth blast occurred in a bomb planted in motorcycle in Qasba colony, injuring a policeman and which also killed the motorcyclist himself. A policeman was injured in the sixth blast in a bicycle in Manghopir. Two simultaneous explosions occurred in Pak colony wounding more than 12.
October last year in Karachi, more than 150 people were killed in twin bombings during Benazir Bhutto's homecoming rally. Undoubtedly, these serail blasts were triggered only create an atmosphere of fear and tension in the city at large. However, the provincial government blamed on the elements who have been trying to destabilize coalition government in Sind.
Karachi has been always in the news for sectarian and political violence. Looking at the recent developments and Karachi’s history of sectarian discord, I would zeroed on the proscribed Sunni outfit, Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) or its militant wing, Lashkar-e- Jhangvi who has ties with Pro-Taliban and al Qaeda elements. SSP, late last month, had declared its new name (read ‘incarnation’) Ahle Sunnat wa Aljamaat Pakistan (ASWJP). In Karachi, SSP is powerful and pervasive. Without its knowledge or help, no underground outfit can operate freely. Monday's blasts may be a declaration of ASWJP's arrival in Pakistan's 'bloody' horizon.