At least 14 people were injured, two seriously, and more than 15 vehicles damaged when a locally made high intensity time device fitted in a stolen Suzuki High-Roof went off at about 3:15 pm at the gates of Holy Trinity Church on Fatima Jinnah Road on Thursday.
Eye witness said that at about 3 pm two men riding motorcycles reached the outer gate of Pakistan Bible Society and the Christian Reading Room and hurled two explosive devices at the doors of the society's offices.
"The intention behind hurling firecrackers or explosive devices at the Bible Society was, most probably, to attract the attention of people and to gather them at one spot before the actual device explodes," Shahzad Shamoon, secretary of the Bible Society of Karachi said.
He said, "The terrorists might have planned a large scale killing."
He said that within 15 minutes after the first explosive device was hurled at the Bible Society the time device fitted in a Suzuki High-roof exploded. "It shattered window panes of Avari Hotel, wind screens of a number of cars, damaged and burnt more than 15 cars and dozens of motorcycles parked nearby and very close to each other."
"When the explosion took place TPO Freare Muneer Sheikh, his DSP and their men had just arrived on our call and were looking at the damage explosive devises/firecrackers had done to the society's office."
In the following explosion, at about 3:15 pm, the TPO and two other police officials sustained injuries and were immediately shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center for medical aid.
Three police cars SP 1170, SP 6779 and another one whose number could not be noted down got badly damaged. "Though it was a big bang, did not hurt anybody seriously, an eye witness said.
The entire area of approximately 1,000 Sq.yd. in between the Avari Hotel, Baloch Regiment Mess and the Trinity Church was littered with burnt auto parts, wind shields and CNG kits thrown out of cars.
An eyewitness said that for a second it was all smoke and flying auto parts that were there in the atmosphere.
Fire brigade and NGOs reached the spot and participated in relief operations.
Police official said though it was difficult to give exact number of cars damaged in the blast, so far 15, including police cars, had been counted besides a dozen of motorcycle.
"As far as injured people are concerned they have been evacuated to JPMC for treatment and they all are safe," they added.
All the cars and motorcycles were parked in front of Bible Society office across Hotel Avari Tower.
This is a paid parking area and vehicles once parked there in the morning remain there till closing hours of nearby offices. "It is always congested parking," said one charged parking clerk.
"The damage at this time, where a good number of motorcycles and cars have blown into pieces and burnt like dry wood, is difficult to make," police official supervising rescue operations said. Many damaged cars' and motorcycles' numberplates showed their registration in other provinces and cities than Sindh and Karachi
Newly posted Director General of Rangers Major General Javeed Zia, who on the very first day of his working witnessed the act of terrorism, said that it was terrible and deplorable.
He said that it could not be said who had done it. But this act of terrorism is condemnable.
"So far (he talked to newsmen at 3:30 pm) there is no casualty and only five people were taken to hospital for medical aid. They were injured as they were hit by the splinters of exploded vehicles."
He said that the rescue teams were working and all precautions had been taken to avoid any reoccurrence of other such incidents.
He appealed to all those who had gathered at the spot of explosion to leave the site and let the police, rangers and others perform their operations.
The Holy Trinity Church has a girl's school, office of the Bible Society and a Christian Reading Room within its compounds. All these institutions have gates opening on the road facing Hotel Avari Towers and Baloch Officers Mess (armed forces' institution).
SP Investigation, Zone One, Manzoor Moughal, talking to newsmen at the site of explosion, said that initial reports suggested that the blast occurred in a Suzuki High-Roof parked in front of the Trinity Church gate.
He said that when the registration number and chassis numbers of the car involved in the incident were verified it was found that it was snatched from Faiz Rasool, an employee of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, this morning at 10:25.
"The police are looking into this aspect as well as to how the snatching happened and by whom," he added.
He said that though the quality and make of the explosive was yet to be ascertained, the bomb disposal officials had estimated it to around 5-6 kilogram locally made device.
Aftab Ahmed Shaikh, adviser on home affairs, reached the spot after about 45 minutes of the explosion.
Talking to newsmen he said it was too early to comment on the incident.
He said that he was waiting for reports and would be able to comment only after ascertaining the actual position.
He asked the journalists to be patient and wait for some time till anything concrete came out.
DIG operation Tariq Jamil and the City Police Chief Asad Ashraf Malik, who were supervising relief operations, said that two police cars were damaged and three policemen were injured.
Chief Secretary Dr Mutawakkil Kazi and other senior officers of the Sindh Government were also there to supervise the relief work.
Saleem Khokhar, former member of the Sindh Assembly and president of the All Pakistan Minority Association, who was present at the spot, said that the Bible Society had been writing to the city police and the city Nazim for taking care of the Church, School and the Bible society and to provide protection but in vain.
He said in view of the increase in attacks on churches and other holy places of the Christian Community the Society had been requesting the city administration to ban parking in front of the Church and the Bible Society office, as these parking could have been dangerous.
He said that their entire request fell on the deaf ears of the administration and "finally this ugly incident has occurred. Thanks God no one died."
Shahzad Shamoon said that two members of the Bible Society were injured and the property of the society including furniture had been damaged.
The members of the Christian community who had gathered at the spot of explosion demanded of the government to provide them and to their places of worship protection against acts of terrorism.
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