KARACHI: A young passerby was killed and nine others were injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) attached to a motorbike went off in a busy area of Saddar on Thursday night, according to officials and witnesses.

The commercial locality of Saddar remains crowded at night because of restaurants and eateries located on Daud Pota Road near the famed United Bakery.

Dr Summaiya Syed, additional police surgeon of Jinnah Post-Graduate Medical Centre, said the body of a young man and nine injured persons, including three teenagers, were brought to the health facility. Dr Syed described the condition of two wounded persons as ‘critical’.

The blast caused considerable damage to property and vehicles.

The CM’s spokesperson in a statement quoted Inspector General of Police Sindh Mushtaq Ahmed Mahar as having informed Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah that an IED blast had taken place as per preliminary probe report.

“It appeared that the IED was fitted with a motorbike,” the IGP told the CM. A passerby was killed and some persons were injured. A team of Bomb Disposal Squad was examining the place.

Officials of the police’s Counter-Terrorism Depart­ment were also present at the scene of the blast.

“Investigation was being carried out from every possible angle,” according to the provincial police chief.

He said it would be ‘premature’ to say if the blast was intended to target a vehicle of Pakistan Coast Guard. However, he added, it was not ‘routine’ of the coast guard’s vehicle to pass through the area. Initial probe suggested the motorbike was used in the explosion.

Another officer, DIG-South, Sharjeel Kharal told the media that the blast took place at around 11:20pm. About the possible target, the DIG opined: “I do not think that any institution or a particular vehicle was the target.”

CM Shah took notice of the incident and sought a report from the city police chief and commissioner Karachi.

Her also declared an emergency at the nearby two hospitals, JPMC and Civil Hospital Karachi.

Quoting the doctors at the JPMC, Administrator Karachi Murtaza Wahab said most of the victims had suffered wounds caused by ‘ball bearings’ indicating the perpetrators wanted to cause maximum damage to people. He said the doctors had told him that eight injured had been brought to the JPMC.

JPMC’s additional police surgeon Dr Syed identified the deceased as Umer Sadiq, 25.

The injured persons included Sheroz, 24; Zahid Rauf, 26; Faizan Farooq, 14; Mohammed Amir, 42; Imran Ahmed, 18; Abdul Mannan, 17; and Wali Mohammed, 30. Majority of the injured are residents of Saddar.

Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2022