The Ashura day bombing in Karachi that killed 45 people in a Shia procession may not have been caused by a suicide bomber and might have been a planted bomb instead, investigators are now saying.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik, who said on the day of the bombing that it was a suicide attack, said on Friday that from available evidence, it did not seem like that anymore.
From the CCTV footage of the blast, investigators are said to be focusing on a cloud of white smoke rising up from the explosion, not seen before in a suicide bombing.
The planted bomb theory also gained ground after the head of the purported suicide bomber that was found at the site of the bombing was established as that of a processionist killed in the attack.
The Sindh province, including its capital Karachi observed a complete shut down strike on Friday in protest against Monday’s bombing and the arson spree that followed it.
The violence, which Mr. Malik said earlier appeared to have been pre-planned, led to the destruction of a reported 3000 shops, and a consequential loss of thousands of jobs and billions of rupees.
The city was gripped with tension once again when a bomb was reportedly discovered in residential area. Police said the timely discovery of the bomb, said to contain six kg of explosives, and its subsequent defusing, averted a catastrophe.
Meanwhile, in Sheikhupura near Lahore, police said they had foiled a bid to blow up a main electricity supply line after the discovery of 42 small bombs tied to pylons.
