KARACHI: A hand-grenade was found outside Balochistan Minister Changez Khan Marri’s house in Defence Housing Authority (DHA) on Tuesday. Police said the grenade “fortunately” failed to explode. They booked “militants” affiliated with the banned Balochistan Liberation Army for the botched attack.

According to police officials, the bomb was found outside the DHA Phase-II residence of Mr Marri in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. The minister had arrived in Karachi on Monday night.

Motorcyclists lobbed the grenade before speeding away but it fell outside the house where it failed to explode, they added.

“An employee [of Mr Marri] approached the police after which we called the bomb disposal unit,” said Inspector Yasin Gujjar, the SHO of Defence Police Station. “The bomb disposal unit defused the bomb and thoroughly scanned the area. The police relied on the complainant’s account to register the case against BLA militants.”

When asked why BLA militants were being suspected for an attack on the nawab of the Marri tribe, who was the brother of Balach Marri, deceased leader of the banned BLA, and separatist leader Hyrbyair Marri, he said the minister was being threatened due to his recent “contribution”.

“Changez Marri is quite active in Balochistan these days for bringing the Baloch people into the mainstream. That’s why he is under threat from the BLA,” said SHO Gujjar.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2016