KARACHI: A University of Karachi laboratory on Monday came to the conclusion that explosive material was used that caused the collapse of a multistorey building in Gulshan-i-Iqbal in October, killing nine people and injuring 22 others, according to officials.

Initially, the police’s Bomb Disposal Squad had declared that the explosion was caused by gas leakage, however, SSGC had denied it.

Gulshan-i-Iqbal SHO Safdar Mashwani on Monday said that the investigators had sent different pieces of evidence to KU’s HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, including a piece of pipe. The officer confirmed that the police have received report from the KU lab, which revealed that TNT explosive material was used in the blast on Oct 21. The officer said that in light of new findings, the police would invoke the Anti-Terrorism Act and the case would be referred to the police’s Counter-Terrorism Department for investigation as it was an act of terror.

According to contents of the report prepared by Industrial Analytical Centre of the HEJ and reviewed by Dawn, the police had submitted different parcels containing various pieces and “(TNT) explosive substance is found in parcel No. 2.”

A senior police officer who had investigated terror cases in the metropolis told Dawn on condition of anonymity that TNT was a highly explosive material and wondered how the BDS “overlooked” it.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2020