Four cops among six hurt as ‘seized explosives go off’ in Multan

MULTAN/LAHORE: The blast at Qadhafi police post here on Sunday which left at least six people including four policemen injured took place when fireworks and explosive material placed inside the post went off, Dawn learned reliably.
Sources privy to the investigation of the incident told this reporter that a large quantity of fireworks and other explosives which were placed in storeroom of the police post exploded with a big bang.
They said apparently the incident happened owing to police negligence as fireworks and other explosives, possibly seized from anti-social elements, were not disposed off.
The blast at the post of New Multan police station was initially termed a terrorist attack by some police officials who claimed it was caused when explosives fitted on a motorbike parked along the outer wall of the post were detonated.
District Coordination Officer Zahid Zaman also initially told some TV channels it was a suicide terror hit.
The blast that was so intense that it was heard several kilometers away from where it occurred partially damaged an outer wall of the police post and an adjacent house.
Three of the injured, who were shifted to Nishtar Hospital immediately after the blast, were identified as policemen Khadim Hussain, Irshad Ahmed and Qaisar Abbas. The three other injured people, Danishwar, Sajjad and Imran, were in the police lockup adjacent to the storeroom where the blast occurred.
According to hospital sources, two of the injured policemen, Khadim and Irshad, were in critical condition.
Ruling out the possibility of explosive material planted outside the post, Civil Defence District Officer Shahid Pervez said as the debris of the collapsed wall fell outside the building it showed the blast occurred inside the post.
He said that judging from the intensity of the blast it could be estimated that some seven to eight kilogram explosive material caused it. He, however, said the explosives were not in the form of finished devices used by terrorists to cause maximum number of casualties.
Gulgasht SP Atif Khan said that initial inspection of the site showed the blast occurred inside the post. He, however, said investigation was no to ascertain what caused the blast.
New Multan police station SHO Gulzar Tulla denied presence of any explosive material inside the post. However, he was not sure what actually caused the blast.
According to a news website, police have taken a bearded man in custody in connection with the blast. It also said that security at the post situated on Lahore-Multan National Highway was poor.