Pakistan: Deadly bomb blast in Lahore kills three and leaves several injured

A deadly bomb blast in a shopping district in Lahore, Pakistan, has left three dead and at least 20 injured, as per police reports. The blast took place at the Paan Mandi in Anarkali market, in the city, where Indian commodities are sold. Reports suggest the blast was powerful enough to damage several shops in the vicinity.

Rana Arif, the spokesperson for Lahore police said, “Initial investigations show that it was a time-controlled device on a motorbike which was the cause of the blast”.

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Dr Mohammad Abid, the Deputy Inspector General Police Operation, has supported Arif’s statement, saying, “The crater at the blast site indicated the possibility of a time device. However, at this stage we can’t confirm this”.

Usman Buzdar, the Chief Minister of the Pakistani province of Punjab, said that the blast attempted to sabotage “the atmosphere of law and order”. He added that those responsible for the blast couldn’t escape the arm of the law. 

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Those injured have been taken to the Mayo hospital and the marketplace has been shut down after the blast. The Counter Terrorism Department and Bomb Disposal Squad are at the scene, examining the nature of the blast. 

The Baloch Nationalist Army (BNA) has claimed responsibility for the attack. They have stated their intent was to attack the Habib bank located there, with explosives. The assault was aimed at the bank employees. 

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Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the bombing and urged that local authorities provide the best medical care possible to those affected due to the blast.

Notably, there has been a series of attacks against the police since December 2021, when there was a collapse in an existing truce between the Pakistani government and the nation’s Taliban. In earlier instances, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a homegrown outfit with the same roots as Afghanistan’s Taliban, had claimed responsibility for the attacks. 

[Edited with PTI Inputs]