PESHAWAR, May 17: A businessman was killed and another injured when a remote-controlled bomb exploded in their spare parts shop near Scheme Chowk on the outskirts of Peshawar.The blast was so loud that it damaged windowpanes of vehicles parked nearby.
An official of the Badbher police station said the explosion injured two and one of them died of critical injuries at the Lady Reading Hospital.
He said the dead man was Mohid Khan, a 30-year-old resident of Peshawar’s Qari Qamar Din area, while the injured was Israruddin, a 40-year-old resident of Peshawar’s Bazidkhel area.
Israruddin later said the explosion took place almost 10 minutes after he reached the shop owned by Mr Mohid.
A bomb disposal unit official told Dawn that improvised explosive device packed in a ghee canister was placed inside a cupboard of the shop.
He said IED contained steel nails and other metallic pieces but police didn’t find evidence for use of any remote-controlled device in the blast.
Police said Mohid was an Afghan national but it had yet to be ascertained if he had any links with the Taliban.
They said they had registered a case against unidentified terrorists and began investigation. However, no arrests could be made until night.In another incident, suspected militants attacked a checkpoint with a hand grenade in the limits of Hayatabad police station on Thursday evening, leaving two private guards injured.
An official of Hayatabad police said that the injured guards, identified as Haris and Tauheed, were associated with a private security company, who used to wear police-like uniform. He said that the checkpoint was located at a short distance from the FIA provincial headquarters in Peshawar. The officials claimed that the attack was aimed at police.
Cantonment circle SP Shabih Hussain told media persons that the injured was shifted to a local hospital and search for the arrest of attackers had been launched.
Meanwhile, provincial police chief Akbar Khan Hoti directed his force’s top bosses to ensure strict security checks in the province to prevent terrorism.
The directions were issued during a meeting at the central police office in Peshawar on Thursday.
Police officers from all Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regions attended the meeting during which overall law and order situation in the province came under discussion.
Mr Hoti directed the deputy inspector generals to call a meeting of police officers in their respective regions to examine security apparatus and its shortcomings and find ways and means to correct them.
He said the Elite Force was a striking force so its personnel could not be detailed to guard VIPs otherwise their professional capabilities would spoil. He asked the commandant of the Elite Force to task the Elite Force with what they have been trained.Mr Hoti warned police official against negligence, violence and corruption and said those found involved in such acts would be dealt with strictly.
