KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday said that the investigation into the twin Karsaz suicide bombings that claimed lives of over 180 people 15 years ago could not be concluded because the evidence was removed from the crime scene.

Talking to the media at the ‘Memorial of the Martyrs of October 18, 2007’ at Karsaz, the chief minister said: “Fifteen years have passed since the Karsaz tragedy and the Shahadat [martyrdom] of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, but she is still alive in the hearts of people,” and added that those who were behind the conspiracy of her killing had disappeared in oblivion which was the revenge of democracy.

Accompanied by Information Minister Sharjeel Memon, Mr Shah said that on Oct 18, 2007, he was with Ms Bhutto on a truck leading her homecoming rally where hundreds of thousands of people from all over Pakistan had arrived to welcome her at the airport.

He said terrorists detonated two bombs at Karsaz killing 180 people and injuring over 450 others.

“She survived the attack, but laid her life while struggling for the right of the people to rule the country in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007,” he said and added: “The restoration of democracy in Pakistan cost her life.”

To a question, Mr Shah responded that the families of the Karsaz martyrs were taken care of properly, and to remember them in the history of the country, their memorial was constructed at Karsaz which spoke loud of their bravery and sacrifice for the cause of democracy.

Earlier, the chief minister laid a floral wreath on the memorial of the martyrs and offered prayers for them.

The chief minister said that the political strategy of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leadership was so naive and pathetic that despite winning six National assembly seats in the by-elections, they lost their strength in the parliament.

“Earlier, the PTI had 162 seats in the National assembly and now, despite winning six seats in the by-elections, they have reduced their strength to 156 seats – this shows how politically empty their upper chamber is,” he said.

Replying to a question, the chief minister said that PTI head Imran Khan’s decisions reflect his political immaturity and naivety.

“Had he fielded his party candidates in the by-elections instead of contesting himself, he would have added six seats in his numerical strength in the National Assembly,” he said and added he was not a political material.

Mr Shah said that Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had termed Imran Khan ‘selected’ in the assembly when he was made prime minister, and he had thumped the desk to make a mockery of the term.

“Now, Imran Khan has publicly admitted that he was a puppet prime minister, and his strings were elsewhere. Look at his [Imran Khan] political wisdom that he has quit the parliament and now plans to take over the government by force,” he lamented and added that had the PTI chief been a democratic-minded leader, he would have chosen the way of parliament to return to power.

The CM warned Mr Khan that Pakistan was a democratic country and the change of government was only possible by the way of a vote in the parliament.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2022