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Bomb blast in Karachi Pakistan targets house of SSP CID Chaudhry Aslam, School district

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Five days ago, my emotions were high as I wrote the preface to Taliban attack school bus kill 4 children | Peshawar Pakistan.

Attacking children was a real low. However, it was still out in Peshawar. Today, the horror came very close to home as a bomb blast outside the house of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Pakistan, Chaudhry Aslam. Aslam heads the counter-terrorism unit of the CID in Karachi. According to Ali Chisti of The Friday Times, “Chaudry Aslam is the one who killed Rehman Dakait (a notorious gangster in Karachi), captured numerous TTP, alQaeda & Quetta Shura members.”

 

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What makes ones blood boil is that Aslam’s house is right next to 3 major schools of Karachi and the area has several more in the vicinity. Thus, the blast which occurred at 7:26 am was at a time when the area was filling up with school going children and their parents. Had the blast occurred 10-15 minutes later the carnage would have been horrible. The initial reported death count is 08 people which includes 06 policemen and a child and her mother. The child went to the school my cousin’s wife teaches at and their children study there. They were safe Alhamdulillah but it was terrifyingly very close to home. Not that the death of any in Karachi is superior to that of that the people in Peshawar and other areas. Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the bombing, saying Aslam had arrested and killed many of its fighters. “We will attack other police officials as well who are taking action against our people,” TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told Reuters by telephone from an undisclosed location.

 

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCcZ7Qvgzj4[/youtube]

Speaking to the media right after the blast (partial video above), Aslam remarked:

“I was sleeping when they carried out this cowardly act and rammed a vehicle packed with explosives into my house.”

“I will not be cowed. I will teach a lesson to generations of militants.”

“I did not know that these terrorists were such cowards that they would attack sleeping children.”

Karachi, has not been a stranger to violence and around 10000 civilians have been killed in Karachi since 2002 due to ethnic, political, sectarian violence and incidents of terrorism. In August alone more than a 100 people were killed due to ethnic violence.

 

Citizen’s Reactions

Some of the tweets this morning showed the reaction of citizens:

#karachi blast happened outside our friends house 32nd lane (adjacent to SSP house) house totally damaged kids family safe (via @DrAwab)

Our friends driver was killed he was ringing the house bell to call out the kids and take them to school – family immensely traumatised (via @DrAwab)

Its time to raise ur voice against these brutal inhumane terrorists responsible for slaying our little children daily. #Pakistan #terrorism (via @RiazToori)

“Damn , if I wanted a holiday for my birthday, I would DEFINITELY not want one if it meant a bomb blast wd occur” – schoolgirl (via @BeenaSarwar)

“We saw this guy next to our car, his face was filled with blood and he was waiting for the ambulance!” – says my daughter’s friend #Karachi (via @BeenaSarwar)

Trying to explain to my 4yr old – who’s just woken up – why its not safe to go to school. #hatethis #Karachi (via @SalmaJafri)

“the blast was shit scary!” – friend of my daughter on facebook chat #karachi #blast (via @BeenaSarwar)

Blast was more powerful than needed to target just the SSP’s home: 6-10 ft crater, nearby cars and houses damaged, massive sound (via @MadihaSattar)

The school teacher who was killed worked at Washington International School. Always used to reach early. Colleague of my mother’s student. (via @Sabeen)

Just spoke to wife who’s at the scene. The explosion happened right behind X’s school. They would’ve been there at the time of blast if not for the wrongly parked car blocking ours in the apartment. (via @farrukhahmed)

Kid’s school closed for next 3 days , all windows blown out (via @schawlaf)

Kids have nerves of steel, if we’d seen this much carnage at our times, many would be needing psychological help #Karachi #ChangingTimes(via @schawlaf)

People plan for next 10 years or even next 10 days, here you can’t even plan the next day (via @schawlaf)

#Pakistan – all is well until it doesn’t happen to you and when it does you are just news :'(

#Karachi (via @DrAwab)

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Aly is an entrepreneur who was born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan where he currently resides. He has been associated with many diverse fields such as Textiles, Cement, Minerals & Ores, Feeds and Agri-Commodities. As a Life Coach, NLP Practitioner, and Hypnotist, he works with clients to reach the Next Level in their personal and professional lives, to breakthrough performance blocks, self-doubts, or habits that limit them from reaching their true potential. Send him a message to find out more. Known on Social Media as DiscoMaulvi, he serves in operational and advisory roles for LiveDeen and Azaan Institute. He is also a co-founder and trustee of Ihsaas Trust, a not-for-profit started in 2012 with a vision to improve social mobility for Karachi’s under-privileged. Our distinguishing factor is the efficient utilization of Sadaqah and Zakat for healthcare and rations and to provide micro-finance for Enterprise Facilitation. Aly joined the team of MM in 2011 as a blogger/writer and is currently the Team Lead for the Comments Team and a former member of the Executive Shurah. He is easily accessible via Twitter or through his Public Page on Facebook where you can learn more about him.

8 Comments

8 Comments

  1. Umm Sulaim

    September 19, 2011 at 2:37 AM

    Incredible! Is there any safe city in Pakistan? (That was a rhetorical question.)

    Umm Sulaim

  2. Abeer Khan

    September 19, 2011 at 2:38 AM

    Its very difficult living in Pakistan with the fear, threat and lack of security. But the greatest unease and fear arises from the lack of information about who these terrorists really are, and what there ultimate agenda is. I just pray and hope Pakistan makes it through all of this. This country doesn’t deserve this. It has really great people and great values that we need to save.

    • Ismaeel Dhamee

      September 19, 2011 at 1:59 PM

      What great values does this country have?

      * Ethnic violence is rampant.
      * People in some flood-affected areas are refusing aid because the donors are “urdu speaking”.
      * Corruption is at its’ peak

      What kind of a ridiculous statement is this coming from a SSP: ““I will not be cowed. I will teach a lesson to generations of militants.”

      Until the people of Pakistan decide do something about themselves, nothing will change.

      • Aly Balagamwala

        September 20, 2011 at 3:04 AM

        Ismaeel:

        * People in some flood-affected areas are refusing aid because the donors are “urdu speaking”.

        I am working with 2 different organizations for flood relief (PkRelief and Ummah Welfare) and we have never had that problem. What is your source for this?

        However, you are right we need to start doing things else there will be no change.

        -Aly

  3. Saeed

    September 19, 2011 at 7:51 AM

    These kind of terrorist acts against the people of Pakistan by the People of Pakistan will stop only if Pakistan withdraws from Americas war against Pakistani Tribal areas. End the drone attacks.

    • Carlos

      September 19, 2011 at 10:20 PM

      Please do not blame America for this atrocity. We have a common enemy.

      The way to deal with a guerrilla enemy is not to capitulate or turn-over sovereignty of parts of the country to them so they can build their strength. The correct way is to fight the guerrillas relentlessly and educate the public about the harm the guerrillas do. Just ask the Colombians, the Peruvians and the Sri Lankans.

  4. Nadia

    September 19, 2011 at 3:42 PM

    I witnessed the dead bodies at the morgue. And even after 15 hours, i havent recovered. They were in a pathetic state. I wonder what pleasure do these terrorists get by brutally killing innocent??!! Killing kids??!!! I am in a state of shock!!!

  5. Mobeen

    September 19, 2011 at 8:40 PM

    I received a call this morning from my dad telling me about the blast. It occurred directly outside the house of my cousin, and his family is the one referenced in the tweet where their driver was coming to take the kids to school. The drivers name was Anwar Khan, we called him Anwar bhai, and whenever I visited he’d take us to salatul jumu’ah at the nearby masjid. He was with his son, and both passed away in the crash. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiun.

    May Allah have mercy on them and all those who passed away in the blast. Ameen.

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