Tag: lahore blast

  • Interior Minister questioned on rising terrorism, didn’t brief parliament for nine months

    Interior Minister questioned on rising terrorism, didn’t brief parliament for nine months

    The Opposition senators questioned the Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed over the recent terrorist attacks in Islamabad and Lahore in today’s Senate session.

    Earlier this week, in a gun attack, a police officer was killed in the capital and the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility. Lahore was attacked on Thursday which claimed the lives of three civilians.

    Senator Raza Rabbani said that Baloch Nationalist Army (BNA) had claimed responsibility for one of the attacks while Rasheed said the TTP was behind it. The senator demanded that the minister be summoned to clear the confusion, reports Dawn.

    Several other senators including Pakistan Muslim-League’s (PML-N) sought a reply. One of them said that “he had not seen the interior minister in the House for any briefing during the last nine months.”

    Rasheed made a briefing and said that there are “special motives” behind the killing of the cop in Islamabad. However, about the Lahore tragedy, the minister stated that an investigation is underway. 

    Upon the Oppostion’s insistence of seeking an explanation from the government. Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani told the minister to brief the upper house in this regard and the steps taken by the government on Monday (January 24).

    After the capital incident, the minister had warned of more terrorist-related attacks. Previously in the past month, two terrorists allegedly belonging to the banned outfit TTP were arrested in Karachi.

  • Blast in Lahore leaves at least three dead, several injured

    Blast in Lahore leaves at least three dead, several injured

    A blast in Lahore near Pan Mandi in Lahore’s New Anarkali which is a crowded area occurred on Thursday.

    As per reports, the blast resulted in at least three deaths (confirmed by Deputy Commissioner (DC) Lahore) and 28 injuries. A police official said the blast caused a 1.5 feet-deep crater in the ground. The injured people were shifted to Mayo Hospital.

    An improvised explosive device (IED) was used in the attack.

    According to DC Lahore, no alert was issued previously by the government. He said that the blast took place at 1:45 pm, while the safe city cameras would be used to track down the culprits.

    The deceased has been identified as 38-year-old Ramzan, resident of Ferozewala, and a child aged 10-12, Zeeshan.

    The area was sealed as police officials were gathering evidence from the scene of the crime.

    After the blast, Twitter was flooded with videos and recent developments.

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan came forward to express his grief and requested a report from the Punjab government.

    Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar took notice of the explosion and instructed the director-general to submit a complete investigation report on it.

    Punjab Cheif Minister Usman Buzdar tweeted: “The blast near Anarkali Bazaar Lahore is a vicious act of sabotaging the atmosphere of law and order.”

    Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz have also condemned the act.

  • RAW behind Lahore blast, says Moeed Yusuf

    Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security Moeed Yusuf on Sunday said that the mastermind of the attack, which killed three people and left 24 others injured, “is an Indian citizen and [Indian intelligence agency] RAW is in touch with hum”.

    Yusuf was addressing a press conference alongside the Punjab police chief and Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry.

    Yusuf added that the IG has said we have the intelligence that a foreign intelligence agency was involved. “Today without a doubt I want to say, [the circumstances] of this entire attack lead to Indian-sponsored terrorism.”

    “I want to make sure that our message is heard very clearly, that this particular incident on June 23 in Lahore…we have concrete evidence and intelligence, including financial and telephone records that point to direct Indian sponsorship of these terrorists,” Moeed Yusuf added.

    “Through forensic analysis, electronic equipment that has been recovered from these terrorists, we have identified the main mastermind and the handlers of this terrorist attack and we have absolutely no doubt or reservation in informing you that the main mastermind belongs to RAW, the Indian intelligence agency, is an Indian national, and is based in India,” he said.

    The National Security adviser also talked about the attempts of cyberattacks against Pakistan’s intelligence agencies, adding, “We have no doubt that the Johar Town and cyber attacks are linked. And the number in which [the cyber attacks] were done, there is no doubt that there was state involvement of our neighbour.”

    On June 23, a powerful blast near the residence of Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed killed three people and injured 24 others, including a police constable.

  • Hostile intelligence agency involved in Lahore blast: CM Buzdar

    Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar in a press conference has said that the blast in Johar Town, Lahore, was carried out by a “hostile intelligence agency”. CM Punjab said that terrorists involved in the attack have been arrested.

    “It was found that a hostile intelligence agency was involved, which provided financial help to this network,” said CM Buzdar.

    “The Punjab government established an investigation team. I am satisfied to tell you that the investigation was started by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and the suspects were identified within 16 hours. In four days, the terrorists were arrested in raids in the country.”

    CM Punjab also thanked all law-enforcement agencies (LEAs) for their efforts and termed the arrests of the suspects in the blast as a “big success”.

    “I want to inform you that the Punjab government has traced all high-profile cases in the province and arrested their suspects,” added Buzdar.

    A powerful blast near the residence of Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed killed three people and injured 24 others, including a police constable.