RAWALPINDI: The FIR of Friday's explosion at an imambargah in Rawalpindi's Chittian Hattian area was registered at the Waris Khan police station on Saturday.

A Joint Investigation Team (JIT), headed by SP Rawal Town, was also constituted to probe the incident and submit its report within 14 days.

SHO of Waris Khan police station Raja Abdul Rasheed was selected as the investigating officer in the case.

The case was registered on a complaint lodged by the custodian of the Imambargah Ibne Mohammad Rizvi under charges of murder, attempted murder, terrorism, possessing and using banned explosive material.

Read: Bomb blast at Rawalpindi imambargah kills 8, injures 16

At least eight people were killed and 16 others wounded in the powerful blast which rattled Imambargah Aun Mohammad Rizvi in the garrison city's densely populated Chatian Hatian area.

A group of over 100 Shia devotees were celebrating a milad — a function held to mark the birth of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) when the explosion took place. In Shia tradition, the Holy Prophet’s (peace be upon him) birth anniversary is celebrated on the 17th of Rabiul Awal.

Also read: Pindi’s sectarian wounds bleed again

Angry locals insisted that the heinous act was a sectarian attack. This area, they said, had been the site of tensions in November 2013, when a standoff between the Taleemul Quran seminary and the Muharram procession resulted in full-blown riots in Rawalpindi.

Security tightened in Islamabad

Security was put on high alert in Islamabad and beefed up around sensitive installation in the federal capital city.

The inspector general (IG) of Islamabad police supervised the security arrangements and instructed police officials to remain on high security alert and to perform snap checks in various areas.

He also called for extra vigilance at all entry and exit points of Islamabad as well as effective patrolling in the city.