DAWN.COM | Pakistan | Malik blames LJ for Karachi Ashura blast
ISLAMABAD: The government disclosed in the National Assembly on Thursday that the banned outfit Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LJ) had carried out the bomb blast in Karachis Ashura procession that killed 45 people and injured 46 others.
Speaking at the start of a debate on an opposition-moved adjournment motion on the Karachi violence, Interior Minister Rehman Malik claimed the government had sufficient evidence that showed the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, Jaish-i-Muhammad and Al Qaeda had formed a network which was behind terrorist activities.
The interior minister said a final report on the Karachi bombing would be presented in the house in 10 days.
He said that so far 30 people had been arrested on charges of involvement in looting and burning shops in Boulton Market soon after the Ashura blast on Dec 28.
These people, he said, were identified through CCVT footages collected by security officials. They belonged to various groups and weapons stolen from two arms shops had been recovered from them, he added.
About the target killings in Karachi, Mr Malik said activists of various political parties, including the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Pakistan Peoples Party and MQM-Haqiqi were the target of terrorists.
He declared that action would be taken against all criminal elements whether they were in the PPP or Muttahida. He said that no incident of target killings had taken place over the past three days.
The minister said that several areas of Karachi, including Pak Colony, Malir, Baldia and Sherpao Colony, had been declared dangerous. He said that gangsters were present in these localities and action would be taken against them at all cost.
Mr Malik denied that any operation was launched in Malir. Even some PPP members had stated that an operation was under way in Malir.
He said only two houses had been raided in Malir and in one of them gangsters had detained a kidnapped person.
ISLAMABAD: The government disclosed in the National Assembly on Thursday that the banned outfit Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LJ) had carried out the bomb blast in Karachis Ashura procession that killed 45 people and injured 46 others.
Speaking at the start of a debate on an opposition-moved adjournment motion on the Karachi violence, Interior Minister Rehman Malik claimed the government had sufficient evidence that showed the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, Jaish-i-Muhammad and Al Qaeda had formed a network which was behind terrorist activities.
The interior minister said a final report on the Karachi bombing would be presented in the house in 10 days.
He said that so far 30 people had been arrested on charges of involvement in looting and burning shops in Boulton Market soon after the Ashura blast on Dec 28.
These people, he said, were identified through CCVT footages collected by security officials. They belonged to various groups and weapons stolen from two arms shops had been recovered from them, he added.
About the target killings in Karachi, Mr Malik said activists of various political parties, including the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Pakistan Peoples Party and MQM-Haqiqi were the target of terrorists.
He declared that action would be taken against all criminal elements whether they were in the PPP or Muttahida. He said that no incident of target killings had taken place over the past three days.
The minister said that several areas of Karachi, including Pak Colony, Malir, Baldia and Sherpao Colony, had been declared dangerous. He said that gangsters were present in these localities and action would be taken against them at all cost.
Mr Malik denied that any operation was launched in Malir. Even some PPP members had stated that an operation was under way in Malir.
He said only two houses had been raided in Malir and in one of them gangsters had detained a kidnapped person.
