KARACHI: Four explosions rocked city’s Defence and Gulshan-i-Iqbal areas on Tuesday night in what authorities described as part of militants’ plan to spread panic in the country.

The explosions which occurred near closed wine shops, triggered fear among residents but did not cause any substantive damage.The first explosion occurred on Khyaban-i-Muslim in phase-IV, behind Cineplex and near the Village Restaurant.

DIG South Dr Ameer Sheikh confirmed that the blast occurred near a closed wine shop. He said a motorcycle parked there was partially damaged in a cracker-like explosion.

Some minutes later, another explosion took place on Khyaban-i-Rahat, also in Phase-IV, and the DIG South again said it happened near a closed wine shop.

Dr Sheikh said the shops stay closed during the holy month of Ramazan.

“These terror attacks may be a part of the ‘organized panic’ being spread by militant organisations,” he said.

The third blast occurred at a closed wine shop at Sea-view in Defence near a food chain.

The fourth explosion, also close to a closed wine shop, happened near Moti Mahal in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, according to SSP East Imran Shaukat.

He said a cracker explosion occurred in a flower pot near the ‘J.B. wine shop,’ but it caused no damage.