HONG KONG: Four busmen and three police officers were injured when a bus and a police Land-rover were blown up by powerful bombs on Hong Kong Island early today [Aug 17].

“We believe they rolled the bombs under the vehicles,” a police officer said. The bombs were “very powerful”, he said.

[Meanwhile, as reported by agencies in Tokyo,] the Tokyo Police yesterday [Aug 16] denied a report that the Pakistan Embassy had complained that a man said to be a Chinese resident correspondent here had beaten up a photographer hired by the Embassy and seized his camera. A Pakistan Embassy spokesman also denied the report which he described as “completely baseless”.

The Police said they had not received a complaint from the Embassy “which had nothing to do with the case”, but from the cameraman, Mr Yasuaiki Fujiwara. Mr Fujiwara said he had been engaged by the Embassy to take pictures inside the foreign correspondents’ club at a reception given on Monday evening to mark the 20th anniversary of Pakistan’s independence.

He was later checking his flash equipment on the pavement outside the Club when a bulb accidentally went off. Three men who came from the Club then pushed him and took his camera before driving off in a car.

Mr Fujiwara said he had not been beaten up. He added he had no idea who the men were except that they were Asians speaking a language other than Japanese.

The Embassy spokesman, Mr Iqbal Butt, said: “No such incident occurred during the reception.

“The Embassy has no direct knowledge of such an altercation that may have taken place between the photographer and any of the guests after they had left.

“The Embassy has lodged no complaint, formal or otherwise, with the local Police,” Mr Butt said.

Chinese Correspondents now in Tokyo represent Kwang Ming Ji Pao, Chung Kuo Chingnen Pao, the New China News Agency and Wen Hui Pao. They were present at the Pakistan Embassy’s reception.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2017