LAHORE - Two low-intensity cracker blasts outside CD shops of a leading electronics market of Lahore spread panic and chaos at Hall Road on Saturday evening, which left five people injured.
The blasts were carried out in front of two different electronic shops located at the ground and first floor of Zaitoon Plaza which was packed with customers at about 6.30 pm.
Police sources said two persons were injured during massive stampede triggered by the blasts.
An unfamiliar outfit namely ‘Nazria Pakistan’ has accepted the responsibility for carrying out the blasts to warn the CD traders to stop the business.
According to some traders, they had received a threatening letter from the aforementioned organisation few days back. An SMS was also sent to the traders, in which, they were informed about the blasts on the day of incident.
According to a local trader, almost 200 shops of CDs had been established in the said market and these blasts occurred in front of these shops.
Bomb Disposal Squad personnel believed these were the cracker blasts only meant to create panic among the citizens.
The injured shopkeepers were later identified as Ashiq, 25, Atif, 30, Usman Iqbal, 30, Sher Muhammad, 45, and Yaqoob, 35, who were rushed to Mayo Hospital where their condition was stated to be stable.
A local trader namely Raja said that three people were injured on ground floor when a blast took place in front of G-11, Usman Iqbal’s electronic shop and two sustained minor injuries on first floor.
Edhi ambulances and Rescue 1122 reached the spot and shifted the wounded to Mayo Hospital.
Mayo Hospital Medical Superintendent (MS) while talking to the newsmen said five people with minor injuries were brought to the hospital by Rescue 1122. ‘The condition of the injured is stable and they are being provided medical treatment free of cost under the supervision of a team of surgeons and medical experts,’ he added.
Minutes after the untoward incident, DCO Lahore Sajjad Ahmad Bhutta and Civil Line Division Superintendent of Police (SP) Dr Haider Ashraf along with heavy police contingent reached the spot.
Policemen cordoned off the entire Hall Road and launched massive search in nearby shops. Talking to this scribe, SP Haider Ashraf said the blasts were planned on the same pattern as those in Iqbal Town and later at Peru’s Cafe.
Later, the shops of the Hall Road were completely shut down.
