The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on Tuesday — on behalf of the station house officer (SHO) of Darakhshan police station, Arshad Janjua — filed a first information report (FIR) regarding an explosion that occurred in a 'stolen' car in Karachi's Khadda Market a day earlier.

The FIR, that has been registered under Article 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, says that "unknown terrorists" had planned to launch "a huge terrorist attack" in Karachi.

Yesterday, a car that was reportedly stolen from Karachi's Jamshed Quarters on Sunday night, was traced to the Khadda Market area in DHA, where it had exploded overnight in an empty plot.

Deputy Inspector General South Javed Alam Odho said that the blast was caused by a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) that had been planted in the car, along with multiple gas cylinders. However, the cylinders were found intact, the DIG said. The car's CNG cylinder was also found in one piece.