MQM blames militant wing of ‘a Punjab party’ for Karachi blast

Published May 3, 2013
Pakistani media and security officials gather outside the MQM office after a bomb explosion in Karachi on May 2, 2013. – AFP Photo
Pakistani media and security officials gather outside the MQM office after a bomb explosion in Karachi on May 2, 2013. – AFP Photo

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) late on Thursday blamed ‘a Punjab based party’ for having a militant wing which carried out the Burns Road bombing, injuring at least eight people, DawnNews reported.

At least eight people were injured in a large blast targeting an electoral office of Muttahida Qaumi Movement on Karachi’s crowded Burns Road on Thursday night.

In an apparent reference to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), an investigative report by the MQM’s Rabita (coordination) Committee suggested that the militant wing of the party is comprised of religious extremist elements.

It said that people of Punjab province have witnessed a prominent leader of that party travelling with militants, adding that few newspapers had also published some photos of such events.

The report said the committee is probing possibility of the militants’ arrival in Sindh along with participants of an election rally in Thatta held on Thursday morning.

The Rabita Committee has demanded the caretaker prime minister and chief ministers of Sindh and Punjab investigate the matter in the light of this report.

Reacting to the allegation, PML-N information secretary Mushahidullah Khan told DawnNews that caretaker chief minister in Sindh province belongs to Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) while Governor belongs to MQM hence they should initiate a probe regarding the accusation.

It is pertinent to mention that the Pakistani Taliban have already claimed responsibility of the Thursday attack. The banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had vowed to target secular political forces of the country, naming PPP, Awami National Party (ANP) and MQM.

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