Militants who attacked a police facility in the heart of Pakistan's largest city were attempting to free comrades they believed were detained there, a senior minister said Friday. The coordinated assault late Thursday in Karachi, using a car bomb and guns showed the ability of militants to strike back. A gang of around six gunmen managed to penetrate a high-security area of Karachi. They opened fire on the offices of the Crime Investigation Department before detonating a huge car bomb that leveled the building and others nearby. The police offices housed a detention facility that was believed to be holding criminals. The CID takes the lead in hunting down terrorists in Karachi. Earlier this week, the agency arrested six members of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, an Al-Qaida linked group blamed for several high profile attacks in recent years. The suspects were presented before a court earlier Thursday. - Photos by Hasaan Haider/Dawn.com and Saboor Haider.

Opinion

Editorial

Plugging the gap
06 May, 2024

Plugging the gap

IN Pakistan, bias begins at birth for the girl child as discriminatory norms, orthodox attitudes and poverty impede...
Terrains of dread
Updated 06 May, 2024

Terrains of dread

Restored faith in the police is unachievable without political commitment and interprovincial support.
Appointment rules
Updated 06 May, 2024

Appointment rules

If the judiciary had the power to self-regulate, it ought to have exercised it instead of involving the legislature.
Hasty transition
Updated 05 May, 2024

Hasty transition

Ostensibly, the aim is to exert greater control over social media and to gain more power to crack down on activists, dissidents and journalists.
One small step…
05 May, 2024

One small step…

THERE is some good news for the nation from the heavens above. On Friday, Pakistan managed to dispatch a lunar...
Not out of the woods
05 May, 2024

Not out of the woods

PAKISTAN’S economic vitals might be showing some signs of improvement, but the country is not yet out of danger....