KARACHI: Police mentioned on Monday they’ve registered a case beneath terrorism fees after an ostensibly dashing van intruded right into a tent of mourners exterior an imambargah in Protection Housing Authority (DHA) on Sunday night, killing a teenage lady and injuring 19 different mourners.
A Suzuki pick-up had rammed right into a tent exterior Masjid-o-Imam Bargah Baqiyatullah on Saba Avenue in Section VI, the place mourners have been attending a majlis.
On Monday, South Deputy Inspector Normal (DIG) Syed Asad Raza mentioned the terrorism case was registered on a criticism of a safety head of the Masjid-o-Imambargah Baqiatullah, towards the motive force and three different companions who have been additionally injured within the incident.
The case has been transferred to the Counter-Terrorism Division (CTD) for investigation, added the senior officer. The DIG confirmed {that a} lady, recognized as 14-year-old Zunaira Akram, was shifted to a non-public hospital on Sunday evening however succumbed to her wounds.
Sharing particulars of how the incident befell, DIG Raza mentioned that at about 9:30pm on Sunday, a Suzuki pickup approached from Saba Avenue in direction of Baqiyatullah Imambargah.
As a result of its extreme pace, the motive force misplaced management of the car and rammed by the safety limitations put in roughly 200 meters from the Imambargah for the safety of the continued Majlis-i-Aza.
After breaching the limitations, the car entered the congregation space and intruded into the tent the place the gathering was in progress. The car struck a number of attendees, leading to accidents to twenty mourners.
The South DIG mentioned the police instantly responded and shifted all injured individuals to totally different hospitals for medical remedy.
He recalled that police personnel and scouts had been deployed on the location as a part of the safety preparations.
The driving force of the Suzuki pickup and his three companions, who had additionally sustained accidents and have been beneath remedy at a hospital, have been taken into custody, DIG Raza confirmed.
The senior officer additional mentioned the police promptly referred to as the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) to totally study the car.
CCTV footage and different related proof have been being collected to establish the information of the incident.
Offering particulars of the victims, he mentioned 18 injured mourners had been taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Middle (JPMC) and two to non-public hospitals.
Out of those 20, 5 have been handled for minor accidents and have been discharged instantly.
Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed mentioned among the many injured individuals admitted on the JPMC, the situation of an unidentified man in his 30s was crucial.
FIR alleges ‘pre-planned scheme’
The FIR filed by the imambargah’s security head accused the vehicle of deliberately breaking through the barriers and the tent under a “pre-planned scheme and criminal conspiracy”.
He contended that the vehicle, driven at reckless speed with malicious intent, crashed directly into the seated mourners — including men, women and children — with a “planned and deliberate attempt” to cause harm.
“The act was not accidental but a deliberate rehearsal of a larger terrorist action, as constant threats have been emanating from banned outfits and sectarian organizations raising anti-Shia sentiments,” the FIR claimed.
It also referred to a video recording of the incident circulating on social media, which it said showed that the incident was “intentional and targeted at the Shia religious gathering”.
The FIR identified the accused driver as Mohammed Zahid and three other companions as Bahadur Saeed, Momin Khan and Arsalan alias Nadan.
Asserting that the act intended to cause harm and spread fear, the complainant said it constituted offenses under the PPC and the ATA and termed it “sectarian terrorism”.
While the FIR accused the driver and his companions of having links with banned outfits, DIG Raza told Dawn that during the initial probe, it transpired that two of the held persons had a past criminal record and were allegedly drug abusers.
