KARACHI, June 28: An eye-witness account on Wednesday hinted at the use of thermal explosive technology for causing the April 11 blast at Nishtar Park.

Bashir Chishti, who was among those sitting on the stage nearest to the point where the blast occurred but survived because he was performing ‘sajda’ and was hit by pellets on his right hand, thigh and hip, said he heard a loud bang from the ground on the right of the stage. An impromptu congregation on the ground adjacent to the stage was formed by people by crossing ‘the rope barrier’ that separated the stage. He received a jolt and rolled over to the left side. He felt like receiving an electric shock and saw ‘a flash going up and falling down’.

The blast inquiry tribunal, which consists of Justice Rahmat Hussain Jafferi of the Sindh High Court, decided to examine the witness, who has yet to recover from the injuries received by him in the explosion and recorded his testimony while seated on a bench, in greater detail next week after going through the entire pictorial evidence, including the video cassettes furnished by various TV channels and the film made by a police official.

Additional Advocate-General Sarwar Khan, meanwhile, announced on behalf of the provincial government that all injured witnesses appearing before the tribunal would be paid compensation in accordance with the formula notified earlier. Advocate Javaid A Chhatari, who represents the Pakistan Sunni Movement, had earlier pointed out that except for one, no injured witness had been paid compensation. The AAG said medico-legal and other formalities were required to be fulfilled for claiming compensation but he would ensure that all the injured appearing before the tribunal receive compensation.

Witness Bashir Chishti denied a suggestion by Advocate Chhatari that there two blasts or firing occurring simultaneously. He said he saw the blast victims lying over the stage. He was put in an ambulance. Maulana Iftikhar Bhatti’s body was also pushed into it but it fell down. He was taken to Holy Family Hospital, which had no facility for treatment. Maulana Bhatti’s body was also brought to the hospital by another ambulance soon afterwards. He was shifted to JPMC in ambulance about an hour and half later along Maulana Bhatti’s body. He was finally treated in Al Mustafa Hospital.

In reply to question, Chishti said the blast might have originated from a wooden frame around which the main banner was wrapped. Advocate Chhatari said in that case the bomb was triggered by a thermal device placed on one of the tables along the stage. If the incident were a suicide bombing, the bomber must be standing in the middle row of the impromptu congregation along the stage.

A number of injured witnesses, including cameramen Abdul Aziz of Geo and Mohammad Rashid, a student of Madrassa Sirajul uloom, recorded their eye-witness accounts earlier. All the injuries were photographed outside the tribunal for its examination.