47 die, over 100 hurt in Karachi blast: three-day mourning announced in Sindh, Army put on alert

A powerful explosion, apparently a suicide blast, during Maghrib prayers at Nishtar Park on Tuesday left at least 47 dead and over 100 injured, including some top leaders belonging to various religious organisations.
The medical staff at three hospitals expressed fear that there would be more deaths as over a dozen persons were in critical condition and sustained high ratio burn injuries and loss of organs.
The Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi (Peace Be Upon Him) was organised by Central Jamaat-e-Ahle Sunnat and was attended by thousands of people at Nishtar Park.
Meantime, Sunni Tehrik's Rabita Committee member Shahid Ghauri at a press conference here on Wednesday gave 48 hours ultimatum to the government for the arrest of those responsible for the incident and asked to get them hanged in public.
Sunni Tehrik lost their entire leadership of 11 senior office-bearers, including Abbas Qadri, Iftikhar Bhatti, Dr Abdul Qadir and Akram Qadri and many others.
According to details, a powerful bomb went off during Maghrib prayers interval at the central stage. The blast left many dead on the spot and countless injured. As paramedics reached the site they collected parts of human remains spread all over the place with the help of volunteers.
The attack on the wooden stage was aimed at targeting the religious leaders, killing and injuring many of them.
Among the dead identified at Liaquat National Hospital (LNH) were Qari Hafiz Wazir, Mohammed Anis, Zahooruddin, Pir Mohammed Jehangir, Abbas Qadri, Ifftikar Bhatti, Abdul Wahab and Abdul Ghafoor.
The injured at LNH were Qasim, Shakil, Kukab Noorani, Tariq Mehboob, Moin, Asim, Nazir Shahid, Muneer Ahmed, Mehboob Ahmed and Mohammed Saeed.
Those dead identified at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) included Akram Qadri, Mohammed Shahid, Ghulam Ali, Nafees-ur-Rehman, Zakir Hussain, Faisal Qadri, Hafiz Liaq, Dr Abdul Qadir, Noor Ahmed, Mohammed Imran, Abdul Wahid, Mohammed Shahid, Haji Faisal, Farid-ul-Hassan, Gul Zaman, Ibrar Hussain, Hasan Ahmed, Mohammed Shakeel, Hafiz Mohammed Taqi, Mohammed Jehangir, Gul Zamin, Wajid Ahmed, Asif Hussain, Mufti Allama Mukhtar, Hafiz Mohammed Yasin and one unknown person identified as suicide bomber.
INJURED AT JPMC: were Qari Muslaha-ud-din, Shahzad Ahmed, Siraj-ur-Rehman, Afzal Hussain, Gulzar, Raees Ahmed, Naeem, Mohammed Saleed, Raheel, Atiq Amin, Mohammed Hanif, Mufti Ahmed Qadri, Mohammed Hussain, Mohammed Tariq, Syed Shafiq Qadri, Ameer, Akhtar Hussain, Hafiz Noor Mohammed, Shakeel Ahmed, Amir, Tazim Ali, Kashif, Mohammed Iqbal, Molvi Abdul Aziz, Rashid, Mohammed Taslim, Nawab Ali Shah, Shafi Qadri, Zahid and Obaid.
Those dead identified at Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) were Haji Hanif Biloo, Hassam-ud-din, Mohammed Rafiq, Syed Ahmed, Mohammed Shahid Qadri, Kashif Ali, Mohammed Haroon, Abdul Majeed, Mushtaq Ahmed, Zakir Hussain and Haroon Ahmed.
INJURED AT CHK: Mohammed Rafiq, Abdul Ghafar, Mohammed Ikram, Faizan, Muddasar, Adnan, Javed, Abdul Qasim, Amin Muneer Hussain, Irshad, Idrees, Younus, Abdul Latif, Owais, Naseeb, Yousuf, Imran Arif, Alif Khan, Mohammed Shah, Osman Qadri, Bilal, Abdul and an house wife Zarina.
The blast changed the celebration into a great tragedy and so far no one has claimed responsibility for the attack. The police and other agencies were struggling to identify those behind the blast.
The news of the blast spread like wildfire and people managed to reach hospitals and the site of blast beside those present at the place. Angry mourners pelted stones on law enforcement agencies and police. They set on fire over a dozen vehicles, petrol stations and partially damaged cinema houses.
All major religious and political parties have strongly condemned the bomb blast and termed it a conspiracy against Pakistan and Muslims. The federal government has already ordered a high-level probe into the incident.
A Judge of Sindh High Court would investigate the bomb blast incident. The Home Secretary has also been instructed to submit a report within three days, the Provincial Home Minister, Rauf Siddiqui told media persons.
STRIKE OBSERVED: On Wednesday, the metropolis mourned the Nishtar Park tragedy and complete strike was observed and people preferred to remain at home and vehicular traffic off the road.
All major markets and commercial centres of the city were also closed. In some areas even shops at inner lanes were also closed and roads and streets wore a deserted look. Personnel of police and law-enforcement agencies were seen patrolling in various parts of the city.
Some incidents of violence were reported and a vehicle was torched at the Rashid Minhas Road, while groups of angry protestors were seen burning tyres in streets in various parts of the city.
The M A Jinnah Road from Radio Pakistan to Tower was closed for traffic as the funeral prayer of Haji Mohammad Hanif Blue and some others was scheduled at the Memon Mosque.
MOURNING Announced: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan on Tuesday announced three-day official mourning throughout the province on Nishtar Park tragedy. The Governor also announced closure of all the educational institutions to mourn the tragedy.
The Sindh Government has increased the reward money from Rs 5 million to 10 million for those who provide information regarding Nishtar Park blast that left 58 dead and over 100 injured on Tuesday.
This was announced by the Provincial Home Minister, Rauf Siddiqi while addressing a press conference late Wednesday night.
He said, the police is now working on two dimension from previously five different aspects into the case and close to arrest the culprits. The sensitive information regarding Nishtar Park blast would be shared with religious leaders.
ARMY ON ALERT: The army has been put on alert and can be deployed within minutes if there is any trouble, sources said.