KARACHI: At least three people were killed and 30 injured in twin bomb blasts targeting Shia Muslims in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi yesterday, officials said.
The blasts occurred as Shias observed the 40th day of mourning of the martyrdom of Imam Hussain.
The first blast came near the wall of a Shia mosque in Orangi Town, a bustling western suburb, followed by another powerful explosion a short distance away.
An official from Abbasi Shaheed Hospital said three bodies were brought to the hospital along with 30 injured.
“Both the bombs were detonated with brief intervals, the second was quite fatal,” Chaudhry Asad, a senior police officer said.
City police chief Shahid Hayat told reporters that both were timer devices.
A third bomb exploded near Numaish Chowrangi in the eastern district but no casuality was reported. The spot was supposed to be on the route of the Shiite procession.
Pakistan has seen a steep rise in sectarian violence after a deadly clash between Sunni and Shiite Muslim groups in the cantonment city of Rawalpindi in November that left around a dozen people dead.
Authorities switched off cell phone services in dozens of cities across the country on Tuesday as a security measure, while 10,000 soldiers were put on standby.
Infrastructure work begins
in Peshawar
PESHAWAR: More than five months after the start of the ongoing fiscal, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is set to begin implementing some new projects covered under the current Annual Development Programme, according to the relevant officials.
The provincial government, the officials say, was to launch a mega development project here yesterday, focusing on infrastructure improvement in Peshawar. This will be the formal beginning of the new projects under the current ADP, including two for Peshawar.
Of the Peshawar-specific projects, one is about the city?s beautification at the cost of Rs500 million, while the other, the Rs1bn Peshawar Uplift Programme, is about improvement of local infrastructure, including roads, sanitation facilities, water supply, streetlights and pavements.
Agencies
