KARACHI, Feb 4: Police rounded up dozens of people on Tuesday for interrogation in connection with the bomb blast in Clifton area on Monday.

One person was killed and three others injured when the bomb, planted in a motorcycle ripped through the parking lot of Clifton Shopping Galleria, opposite the head office of Pakistan State Oil (PSO) in Clifton at about 11.30am. It damaged at least 12 other motorcycles parked nearby besides shattering windowpanes of the shopping centre and PSO House.

“We are sure that the bomb was planted in the motorcycle (KAB-309) as the NIC of its owner has turned out to be fake and he is still missing,” chief of the police investigation wing, Fayyaz Leghari, told Dawn.

He said: “We have got the photograph of Ismail, who had purchased the motorcycle in January last. Another man, who had accompanied Ismail at the time of purchase, did not identify himself but we have got his sketch prepared.”

Mr Leghari said that as far as motive of the bomb blast was concerned, it was not yet clear. “It wasn’t a targeted attack. It appeared have been carried out by some novice. I think it is some sort of message to prove their (terrorists’) existence after the arrest of some wanted religious extremists and the death of Asif Ramzi (wanted in several terrorism cases) in the December blast in Korangi,” he added.

The police earlier believed that the bomb was planted in the motorcycle No. KCM-8017 or KAB-309 as these, too, were completely destroyed. The impact of the explosion sent one the vehicles high into the air and it came down about 26 feet away from its parking place. Khalid, the owner of KCM-8017, was picked up on Monday night, said that he had gone to the PSO House for a piece of work. He has apparently succeeded in convincing the investigators that he had nothing to do with the blast.

The investigators also conducted a raid on the house of Wali Mohammad in Korangi and picked him up. He is the first owner of the other damaged motorcycle No. KAB-309. Wali told the police that he had sold his bike to his neighbour, Ikramuddin, some one-and-a-half-year back in sum of Rs19,500.

Ikramuddin informed the investigators that he got his motorbike repaired at the workshop owned by Raheel in Korangi No.5-3/4. “One day, a man came there and asked if the motorbike was for sale. However, he went away after asking the price. The next day, he came again along with Ismail and a deal was struck at Rs25,000,” he added. Ikram said the unidentified man was stammering.

Raheel told the police that Ismail did not introduce his companion and asked for the transfer of the bike’s papers. Raheel further stated that Rs1,200 and a copy of Ismail’s NIC was given to him for the purpose of transfer deed. The papers were eventually handed over Ashraf, Raheel’s friend. The investigators pointed out that Ashraf is also unaccounted for as yet.

The Excise and Taxation Department record showed that the motorcycle was transferred in the name of Ismail. The address mentioned on Ismail’s NIC is of Green Town, Shah Faisal Colony and transpired that the inmates, family of a deputy director of Sindh Employees’ Social Security Institution, knew nobody by the name of Ismail.

During the verification process, the NIC turned out to be fake.