On Friday two blasts took place in Karachi killing at least 22 people. The first blast occurred when an explosives-laden motorcycle rammed into a bus on Karachi’s Shahrah-i-Faisal, while the second explosion took place inside the Jinnah Hospital.
Were you near the site of the blast when it occurred? Did you hear the blast? Have you passed by the FTC since the blast occurred? Dawn.com invites its readers to share their account of the blast.
The following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
May Allah Protect My Precious Pakistan Ameen
God give people of Pakistan courage to bear this human losses & pain they are sufferring.
I was at work with my team in National IT Park Sh. Faisal. We had returned from Juma prayers few hours earlier. At around 3 PM we heard a loud noise, few minutes later we saw the updates of a blast confirmed on internet and tv channels. The cell phones constantly ringing and loud ambulance noises nearby had already created enough panic. We decided to continue focusing on work and not to go out until things got settled down. Few hours later another large noise, which shook the floor and forced us to get off and start worrying…..the blast was confirmed at JPMC, a walking distance from our place. Once again, we settled for not leaving the premises right away and wait for things to calm down. We stood in Jamat for Asr Prayers, after that we decided to leave together before sunset.
The difficult and more frightening part in all this was attending a phone call from a very concerned mother about her child who was also in the office, and trying to comfort her that we will make sure everyone reaches their place safe….only knowing that none of it was for certain. Soon enough we all pulled ourselves together and parted our ways with very careful planning on who goes with whom and who get picked up from where by their relatives. Just after Maghrib we all reached home safely and quickly checked up on everyone else’s safety. We all panicked today, we were all frightened for a moment – but many lives were taken away in that moment in a City where reaching home safely is as good as a Mission.
I was leaving for the airport when I heard the blast. I looked around and saw thick cloud behind me and at that moment I knew it was a deadly one.
Inna Lillahe waInna Ilaehe Rajaeoon
My profound grief to the azaadars who lost their loved ones in this act of barbarism and brutality. My salute to the mourners who proceeded with the procession and did not get involve in arson, which PROVE that attributing acts of arson after the Ashoora blast to the procession was TOTALLY wrong. My salute to those volunteers and paramedics staff who lost their lives in Jinnah hospital blast, which prove that the people who are behind this are not after people of one sect. They are the enemy of muslims, Pakistan and humanity and must be dealt with iron hand. The way the attack was carried out should also be an eye opener to the people who were advocating to have procession in enclosed boundaries after the ashoora blast, as this time a moving bus was targeted. So what should we give up because of security concern now? Only time will tell!
aLi
When I came to know that huge blast took placed in Karachi and left 12 people dead on the spot, really it was a shocking news for me. May Allah bless their soul in paradise.
All the sympathy for affected families, and those who have lost their loved ones. I request to all that please pray for our nation, peace and prosperity.
It is unfortunate that Islam, the religion of peace, hope, harmony, goodwill and brotherhood had been badly tarnished by the perpetrators of various terrorists acts and barbarism as seen in the recent years.
Zahoor Lehri from Quetta.
It was nearly about 04 hrs in the evening when I receive message from my wife that Karachi once again hit by bomb blast. It was not Karachi but people of Pakistan that actually attacked by our actual enemy and in my opinion the only way to stop them is that we the people have to cooperate with our local authorities. The authorities need to declare an emergency and make compulsory for the specific period to carry the original I.D, search for the non-nationals and treat them in a manner they deserve!
Believe me we all need to be one and help ourselves to make our home (PAKISTAN) safe.
We don’t need any external help or suggestions, watch carefully such elements and inform the concern authorities if in any doubt to help them to work.
thanks and salam.
Open your eyes! America had nothing to do with it. It is your own people who are destroying your own homeland.
My prayers and thoughts are with the family who are in knotts of this mess.
I fully agree with chilli bomb.
Another sad day in Pakistan and as well as in Iraq. The value of Human Life is nothing in that region. Whom to blame for this? Wrong policies of our government or the so called extremists? May Allah protect Pakistan and its people from such murderers. “Ameen.”
I live and work barely 1km away from the site of the first blast. When I heard the first blast I went outside of the building where I work at since I thought it was a blast at one of the generators but everything was ok and I saw people standing at shahrah-e-faisal and looking towards the nursery bridge after I went closer I saw smoke, and that’s when I realized what had happened.
May Allah help us all and give us strength to fight this Evil.
These twin blasts in Karachi put me in frustrated condition and in some kind of break down. Since then I can not concentrate on my study and research. I don’t know what should I do?
My dad’s the emergency management incharge at Abbassi Shaheed Hospital. After hearing about the first blast he asked me to drop him off to Jinnah Hospital (which is not his place of work) so he could supervise the paramedics with their work. There was hardly any checking at the main entrance of Jinnah Hospital and no security personal (apparently private company guards) cared to ask me where or why I was going inside.
Even though there were contingents of police nearby the hospital area but MOST (nearly all) of them were outside the main gate which makes no logic whatsoever. I blame the law enforcement agencies for their lack of professionalism and failure to take proper steps which resulted in the second blast inside the hospital. Security should be provided to such doctors who risk their lives to save the life of others.
I was working on my laptop when I heard a loud bang, and the house shook. I looked outside but couldn’t see anything except thick cloud of smoke, I knew there had been an explosion somewhere nearby.
What is happening in Pakistan is not good for humanity. It is intolerable to see peoples are crying at the death of their near and dear one. May god save Pakistan and its people.
Agree with Chilli Bomb.. Parallel blast in iraq and pakistan meant something…
Chilli Bomb / Nasir, I completely agree, these “parallel blasts” are solely because of US presence….. and not because both Iraq and Pakistan have a strong history of violence, OR because both Iraq and Pakistan have a strong history of sectarian violence, OR because both countries have poorly developed systems and institutions, OR because there is poor legal process and law enforcement in both countries, OR because both countries have vast stretches of land where the government is unable to exercise its writ, OR…….
I was in my home in P.E.C.H.S. when the house actually vibrated, along with a frightening sound. My family and I knew it was nothing distant. I went out and saw a thick white cloud of smoke rising from nearby. Skimming through a couple of news channels, it was confirmed that the blast had taken place near the Nursery/Shr. Qaideen flyover which is barely 10 minutes walking distance from where I live. A short while later the news about the blast at Jinnah Hospital’s emergency entrance added the last nail to coffin of strange atmosphere that had enveloped the city.
It’s an eye opener, really, for it felt comforting living where we do, considering that there had never been any such incident nearby in the past. Karachi remains strong; we shall survive; but is this what our existence been reduced to? survival?
Is it not time already, to realize the root causes of what’s all causing this? Haven’t we cooked up enough conspiracy theories revolving around the Jews, Indians and the Zulus? If it’s still not time, when will it be?
For one, it really is getting too late to mend.
The parallel blasts in Iraq and Pakistan indicates that the US presence in the region is the main cause of such incidents. We must unite and eliminate US agents from our country to live in peace.
So dear, do you sincerely say that there was all well before entry of US in this region?
Yes I would sincerely say that things were certainly well before.
Please tell that to the people of kashmir
May Allah help the people of Pakistan.
We need to help ourselves first and then ask for Allah’s help. Believe me, Allah wont help if we don’t take any actions.
May Allah protect us all, we must defeat these jihadist and terrorists. The army should hit them at their money source, their training camps and anyone who gives a radical or hate speech should be arrested.
It is yet another sad for for Karachi and Pakistan as a whole and highlights the failures of the Government and the security agencies! No one can come and spread terror in a city or a country where people are united! Secretarian violence has been there for decades now and every time some way or the other terrorists seem to find a way through!
There will be condoning, mourning for this, but what we wont have is an inquiry that leads to a constructive outcome?? Would any compensation be sufficient to wipe the tears of someone who lost a father, brother, son, mother or a daughter!
The whole world shook before my eyes. The force of the blast was so great i felt it ravage the very core of my heart. As my mind numbed with the thought of the deceased mourners, i thought also of the families that had been torn apart, the livelihoods that were lost, and the suffering of those still in the Hospital. For hours I did nothing and spoke to no one, merely contemplating how long my city would continue to be terrorized like this. I remembered the Shahrah e Faisal that i once took everyday on my way to school. How many tragedies have occurred on this road since then?
Thousands of miles separate me from my home country as I write this, but i felt the blast as if it had occured right here next to me. The windows of my house are still intact, but my heart is tarnished by the pain that tortures me still. I can only pray that ALLAH keep us in His protection in the future.
But as i lie down to sleep tonight, the details of the blast will not be what i marvel at. I will marvel at the resilience of our beautiful nation. I will marvel at our countless successes against difficult odds. I will marvel at the intensity of the spirit which keeps the procession going despite the blast.
Pakistan Zindabad
Madness has to end, the innocent need to be protected.
My condolences to the bereaved family may ALLAH rest the the souls of the deceased in eternal peace, and give the family strenght to bera the loss of dear ones.
Amen
I live barely a K.m away, but fortunately I had left early for my university. twenty minutes before the second blast, i was trying to come home from the under the nursery bridge, and, I thank the policemen, who adviced me not to go further, as there were people in black shalwar kamiz’s ahead after the bridge, i turned back, and went to my friends house at tooba apartments.
It was scary and dreaded. I just got back home, with a thumping heart if I had survive or not. The Lord saved me, and brought me home safe.
Lets put our hands together and pray those who lost their lives and for their families. May Peace be showered upon them
I work in a call centre and my office is located at FTC and my shift starts at 04:00 Pm i usually cross FTC bridge at 03:15 or 03:30 Pm but i was informed about this blast through media and my famaily so i decided to change my route but i am worried about my way back to home in the mid night. I pray to Jesus to give his PEACE for the rest of the day and for up coming days in the whole country and i express deep sorrow over the precious lifes lost to the dastardly act of terrisiom may Jesus give their famailies the courage to bear this irreparable loss.