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4 killed in Mardan
blast
President, PM condemn gruesome attack
Tariq Saeed
Peshawar—A high intensity bomb in Mardan City some 65 kilometers
from here on Friday left as many as four people including a police
officer dead and serious injuries to more than two dozens others.
The death toll may go higher as the condition of many injured was
stated precarious.
Reports reaching here said an explosive device planted in a motorcar
parked on backside of the City Police Station ripped through a busy
market. At least four people including an ASI were reported killed
while 26 others were seriously wounded, DPO Mardan confirmed.
Assistant Sub Inspector, Farrukh Saeed, owner of hotel Sher Muhammad
and Fazal Subhan were killed instantly while 26 others sustained
injuries.
The explosion was so powerful that its bang was heard at far off
distance. More than 20 shops of daily use items were destroyed. The
injured were shifted to district hospital while the critical wounded
were shifted to Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital where condition of
some patients is stated to be precarious.
Emergency was declared in the hospital and all the doctors and
paramedics were immediately called from their private clinics and
homes. Police has registered a case and started investigation.
Police say the incident was meant to create harassment among law
abiding people of Mardan and sabotage peaceful atmosphere of the
city. The DPO claimed that the police has recovered pieces of the
explosive device for evidence and the culprits would be arrested
soon.
Some of the injured have been identified as Shamsur Rehman, Noushad,
Noor Ali, Aziz Gul, Muhammad Rafique, Lal Nawaz, Saeed Khan, Nazir
Ahmed, Hidayat Khan, Tauheed, Anwar Shah, Riaz Khan, Inmtiaz, Nazir
Muhammad and Sabir. In the meanwhile Tehrik Taliban Pakistan (TTP)
has claimed responsibility of Mardan blast and held it revenge of
the killing of Taliban Commander at the hands of Mardan Police few
days back. Talking to local reporters of Bajaur Agency on phone from
an unknown location on Friday, a spokesman of TTP Maulvi Umer said
that the blast was carried out to take revenge of the killing of
their Commander Hafiz Saeedul Haq at the hands of Mardan Police a
few days back.
Similarly he cited two reasons for carrying out the blast, first the
Taliban of other parts of the country were not taken into confidence
while making announcement about the ceasefire by the TTP. Moreover
they had no knowledge of the ceasefire as well, he explained.
Secondly, the blast at Mardan was planned before the ceasefire by
the TTP against the government. The Taliban stand by their
commitment regarding ceasefire and the Taliban reserved the right of
retaliation if the government resorted to any action against Taliban
in any part of the country. The spokesman of TTP said, the Tehrik
has given positive response to the government’s offer for talks for
the maintenance of peace and harmony in the country, hence the
government should honour the ceasefire arranged with Taliban and
stop activities against the Taliban, he added.
Online ads: President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Yousaf
Raza Gillani in their separate messages, strongly condemned the
Mardan blast such attacks are highly gruesome, President said.
He expressed deep regret over the innocent lives lost in the Mardan
blast urging that the perpetrators behind the heinous act will not
be allowed to move freely.
No one will be allowed to play with law, President pointed.
President said that Pakistan would continue to fight war on terror.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani in his message
said that such cowardice acts of violence would not deter our
determination to fight the menace of terrorism.
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