LAHORE: Three people were martyred and 20 others, including 20 policemen, were injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast near the residence of Hafiz Saeed, head of Jamaat-ud-Dawa Ju (JUD) in Johar Town on Wednesday. . ۔
The explosive device was planted in a vehicle to hit a police checkpoint, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Inam Ghani said. As of the writing of this report, no banned organization has claimed responsibility for the attack.
However, the IGP told the media that a foreign hand was involved in the blast to sabotage peace in the provincial capital. The height of the blast completely destroyed three houses and three cars, shattered the windows of dozens of houses and damaged several cars and motorcycles in an area of more than 400 meters.
The incident comes at a time when the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is holding a virtual meeting in Paris to consider whether to put Pakistan on the gray list or exclude it. Hafiz Saeed was also arrested last year under pressure from the FATF to keep Pakistan off the gray list.
The JUD chief was jailed for one year after an anti-terrorism court sentenced him to 11 years in prison for financing terrorist activities. He lives in the e-block of the Board of Revenue Society adjacent to the madrassa. Security has been beefed up at all the roads leading to his house. Private bodyguards along with policemen provide security to the JUD chief.
However, Inam Ghani emphasized that the goal was to enforce the law. "We have received at least 65 danger warnings this year. The last warning was about an attack on the LEA. At around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, a huge explosion shook the area and sent clouds of dust. Rescue 1122 and police immediately rushed to the spot and launched rescue operation.
The critically injured were shifted to Jinnah Hospital, while those with minor injuries were provided first aid. Three cars parked in the street near the site of the blast were also destroyed, while three houses were completely destroyed. The blast created a pit three feet deep and five feet wide. The blast also set fire to a gas pipeline passing through an underground street. Central Maulana Shaukat Ali Road is a commercial center for buying and selling cars.
A large part of the vehicle apparently used in the blast blew up at an estimated angle of 400 meters and hit a shop on Central BR Society Road. Forensic experts assembled the vehicle for further testing.
Immediately after the blast, law enforcement officers cordoned off the area. Initially, police officers described it as a gas explosion. However, circumstantial evidence suggests that more than 20kg of explosives were used in the blast, which was detonated by DED.
Inam Ghani, Additional IG CTD Wasim Sial, CCPO Ghulam Mehmood Dogar, DIG Sajid Kayani and a heavy contingent of police reached the spot and inspected the blast site. Forensic experts gathered evidence and recorded eyewitness accounts.
An eyewitness told The News that the blast was so loud that a wave of sound pushed it at least three feet away. Residents of the housing society said that it seems that the Hour has come. Panic spread in the area after the blast. A woman claimed to have seen suspicious motorcycle movement in the area, but police patrolling the area did not report it.
The incident has raised eyebrows over the performance of Lahore police and other law enforcement agencies as the area was under strict physical and digital surveillance by the Safe City Authority. Safe City CCTV cameras and other people installed in homes and showrooms can also help track the movement of terrorists in the area.
Police investigators say they have begun erecting a geo-fence in the area to track down terrorist facilitators. Meanwhile, IG Punjab while talking to media at the site of the blast said that cowardly acts could not discourage terrorists. He said that Punjab police would soon bring the accused to justice. He said the CTD was investigating all aspects of the incident. He said that due to the police check post near the blast, the vehicle could not move much and due to the presence of the police team, the terrorists failed to inflict heavy damage.
He added that civilians as well as policemen were injured in the incident, but Punjab police is determined and enthusiastic. Following the incident, the IG Punjab also visited Jinnah Hospital and inquired about the injured civilians and police personnel.
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