The Political Conundrum!

On the Chehlum day (40 days after the day of Ashura), Pakistan’s port city Karachi has witnessed twin bomb explosions that killed almost 25 people and scores of them injured, mostly from the monitory Shia community. The first explosion occurred in the afternoon when a remote controlled VBIED (Vehicle borne Improvised explosive device) exploded near a passenger bus carrying 30 to 40 Shiite mourners. Initial reports suggested that the blast was a suicide attack and the biker’s suicide jacket contained 15-20 kg of explosive material. However, later officials played down it as remote controlled IED blast.

The second blast, the more strategic one, took place outside the emergency ward at the Jinnah Hospital where injured were being shifted for treatment. Nearly 11 people got killed in the hospital blast which also damaged vehicles at the vicinity. Another live bomb has been recovered from the premises of Jinnah Hospital and later it was defused by the bomb disposal squad. The hospital bombing was carried out only to maximize damage and inflict fear among the relatives of the injured and among the emergency responders (doctors and nurses).

Surprisingly enough, both the attacks took place despite tight security measures were in place for Chehlum Processions across the city. Late December Ashura blast in Karachi had claimed nearly 45 lives. Then, Pro-Taliban elements and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ) outfit were blamed for the attack. However, no groups have taken resposibilty for Friday's (Feb 05) twin blasts so far.

Karachi has a history of ethnic tensions, targeted killings and sectarian violence.