SARGODHA, April 26: Security was tightened in Bhakkar on Friday after protesters, reacting to Thursday night’s bomb blast, tried to block roads. The blast claimed 12 lives.

The protesters held a rally, set bonfires and raised anti-government slogans, reports from Bhakkar said here on Friday.

The police were patrolling streets in the town where tension was high with protesters demanding registration of case against the killers.

Meanwhile, death toll in Qadimi Imambargah blast has risen to 12, nine women and three children.

The condition of over a dozen injured, being treated at the Bhakkar DHQ Hospital, is reported to be stable.

Nine of the 12 dead were identified as Fauzia Perveen, Rukhsana, Narjis Khatoon, Atyia Batool, Ishrat Bibi alias Hashmat Bibi, Kaneez Fatima, Zakia and Faiz Mohammad (child).

As per reports collected by this scribe, the explosive went off at a Majlis-i-Aza at Qadimi Imambargah at 11.30 pm on Thursday when more than 8,000 people were listening to the Majlis. Nine were killed on the spot.

Inspector-General of Punjab Police, Malik Asif Hayat, who visited Bhakkar on Friday, put the blame on Al Qaeda and Indian lobby.

Talking to newsmen he said this was in retaliation to the government stern action against Al Qaeda activists who had taken refuge in various parts of the Punjab and some had been arrested from Faisalabad, Mianwali and Lahore.

At the same time, the IGP said, it might be the act of India which wanted to divert the attention of international community from the massacre of Muslims in Gujarat. However, he said three investigation teams comprising experienced police officers had been constituted to trace the real culprits.

Two provincial ministers, Ghulam Server Qadri and Prof Mehmood Ahmed reached Bhakkar on Friday and visited the place of bomb blast. They also inquired about the injured and assured them complete treatment on behalf of the government. Both the ministers expressed their concern over the incident and assured the aggrieved families that culprits would be put to task, very shortly.

The Punjab governor has also expressed his sympathies with bereaved families and injured as well, and directed the authorities concerned to arrest the culprits without any delay.