Shia Muslims shout slogans beside a damaged bus after a bomb explosion in Karachi on Friday. – AFP Photo

KARACHI: A bomb struck a bus taking Shia Muslims to a protest rally near Karachi’s Safari Park on University Road on Friday, killing one man and wounding 11 others, police said.

The attack came one day after 20 Shias were hauled out of vehicles in the northwest and shot dead by gunmen dressed in military fatigues.

“A low-intensity bomb planted near a bus stand in Gulistan-e-Jauhar neighbourhood exploded and hit a car and a bus,” senior police official Shahid Hayat told AFP.

“The bomb killed a man in the car and injured 11 others, most of whom were bus passengers,” Hayat said.

The bus was carrying around 40 Shias to a rally marking solidarity with the Palestinians and to demonstrate against Thursday's sectarian killings.

Police said it was unclear if the Shias were targeted in Karachi.

“We can't say it was aimed at the bus as the bomb mainly hit the car. But we are investigating,” said a police official on the condition of anonymity.

Karachi is Pakistan's financial capital. Ethnic, sectarian and politically-linked violence has killed at least 1,100 people so far this year in the city, according to Pakistan's leading human rights organisation.

Opinion

Editorial

Writing on the wall
27 Jul, 2026

Writing on the wall

EVERY few months, another set of figures reminds Pakistan of a painful reality. Sahil’s latest Six Months Cruel...
Still unprepared
27 Jul, 2026

Still unprepared

EVEN as Pakistan counts around 100 deaths since the onset of the monsoon season on June 26, it is bracing for ...
Delayed devolution
27 Jul, 2026

Delayed devolution

THE debate over Islamabad’s reluctance to fully let go of devolved subjects has been running since 2010. But it ...
Quid pro quo
Updated 26 Jul, 2026

Quid pro quo

Accepting Israel would mean legitimising its violence against the Palestinians, as well as its neighbouring Arab states and Iran.
AI in government
26 Jul, 2026

AI in government

THE Prime Minister’s Office has announced the introduction of an AI-powered digital system and directed ministries...
Cautious optimism
26 Jul, 2026

Cautious optimism

THE latest polio surveillance figures offer some encouraging news regarding the difficult fight against polio. The...