Javed Mahmood/ISLAMABAD
Punjab Home Minister Col. (Retd) Shuja Khanzada was killed in a suicide attack on Sunday in his residence in Shadi Khan village near Attock. About 20 people, including Home Minister, were killed when two suicide bombers detonated powerful bombs at a time when 40 to 50 people of the area had gathered there to condole the death of a close relative of Khanzada.
Most of the people gathered in the home-town residence of Shuja Khanzada were buried underneath the wreckage of the room that razed to the ground by the explosion, causing 20 deaths.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Hazro Syed Shoukat Shah was among the dead recovered from the site. Ten other policemen who are yet to be rescued were present at the scene when the blast occurred.
LeJ, 2 other banned outfits claim responsibility
The banned outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) has claimed responsibility for the suicide attack. Khanzada was under threat following the killing of LeJ chief Malik Ishaq in July.
“The bodies of eight people have been pulled out from the rubble,” Zahid Saeed, the commissioner of Rawalpindi, told reporters.
An emergency has been declared in hospitals. Pakistan Army’s special urban search and rescue teams have reached the blast site. Shuja Khanzada was given charge of the home department in Oct 2014. The provincial department is responsible for the maintenance of law and order, and protection of life and property of citizens.
He previously held positions as Provincial Minister Punjab and Advisor to the Chief Minister Punjab.
Rescue operations are under way at the scene of the attack. A helicopter has been called in to speed up rescue efforts.
Secretary Home Minister revealed that Shuja Khanzada was receiving threats over the past few days but he was not afraid of consequences and fought against terrorism bravely.
Media being blamed for terrorist attack on Shuja Khanzada
Some people on social media and electronic media are holding responsible media for the terrorist attack on Shuja Khanzada by saying that late Home Minister was maintaining his minimum security fearing that the media would raise hue and cry if he moves here and there with large number of security and protocol vehicles.
A senior journalist today said that Khanzada told him that he was not getting much security and protocol only because of media.
“If I get full protocol and security, media will blame me that Home Minister was misusing security,” Shuja Khanzada said this to the journalist.
A renowned defence analyst Brig. (Retd) Mahmood Shah said that he told Khanzada about poor security in his hometown, Attock, but late Khanzada did not listen to him.
“Shuja Khanzada was my one of the good friends and I told him to tighten security in Attock, but he did not care about it,” Mahmood Shah said after hearing the death of Khanzada in terrorist attack today.
Earlier this year, Khanzada had said the Punjab government had received threat alerts for airports, prisons, schools and sensitive installations, besides targeted killing of known personalities and kidnap for ransom.
The minister had said all banned organisations had been stopped from operating, and lists of NGOs and seminaries working against “national interests”, as well as a person delivering provocative speeches, had also been prepared and action would be taken against them on “solid evidence”.
Nation-wide condemnations
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has condemned the terrorist attack. Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif has strongly condemned the blast and directed to speed up rescue activities. He said that such kind of acts cannot degrade nation’s determination against terrorism.
Soon after news of Khanzada’s death, PM Nawaz said, “Sacrifices of our brave nation and valiant heroes like Shuja Khanzada will destroy terrorist designs and they will be chased to their last hideout and eliminated with national resolve and unity.”
“The courage and valour of Shuja Khanzada is message to the masterminds of terrorists that they are bound to be defeated,” he added.
The premier reaffirmed the commitment and determination of the government for pursuing the National Action Plan against terrorism with full force and directed for preemptive security strategy to counter terrorist planning.
PM Nawaz urged law enforcement agencies to not lower their guards till the elimination of the last terrorist.
The Interior Minister has also expressed condolences for the people killed in the blast.
Meanwhile, PTI chairman Imran Khan said he was grieved to learn of Khanzada’s death.
Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah condemned Khanzada’s killing and said they will not rest until terrorism is eliminated. “The attack is an act of cowardice,” he added.
Further, Pakistan People’s Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari condemned the attack on Khanzada’s political office and called for unity in the national ranks to eliminate terrorism.
According to PPP’s media cell, Bilawal said, “Such cowardly attacks cannot lower the morale of the nation which has risen up against bloodshed and terrorism.” The PPP chairman also prayed for those who lost their lives in the attack and wished for the early recovery of the injured.
Case registered
The Station House Officer (SHO) of Rangoo police station on Monday filed a First-Information Report (FIR) on behalf of the state against unidentified attackers of slain Punjab home minister Colonel (retd) Shuja Khanzada on Monday morning.
The application was filed in Rangoo police station by SHO Ghulam Shabbir under the Explosives Act 1884, Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code ─ which addresses “punishment for wilful murder”, Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act and Section 16 of the Protection of Pakistan Ordinance.
The initial investigation report submitted to the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif claimed that the home minister was killed in retaliation of the killing of Malik Ishaq, chief of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. Last month Malik Ishaq, his two sons and 10 others were killed in a police encounter near Muzaffargarh.
Punjab government has announced a three-day mourning in the province while the Pakistani flag is flying at half-mast in Azad Kashmir.
Preliminary investigations suggest a new method of attack in the tragic incident. The explosives did not carry ball bearings and nut-bolts. Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) officials said that majority of the deaths in the incident were caused by roof collapse.
Initial investigations also hint involvement of as many as three banned outfits in the incident and a phone call had been traced by the authorities.
At least 20 have martred in the attack in Shadi Khan Village. Eye witnesses say they saw Khanzada shook hand with a person who had just arrived and got him seated next to him and after one to two minutes the bomb went off.
Punjab Police Inspector General (IG) Mushtaq Sukhera said that one of the bombers exploded close to the wall which caused roof to collapse.
United States offers assistance for investigation
The United States has offered assistance to Pakistani authorities in investigating the terrorist attack in Attock in which Col (retd) Shuja Khanzada was killed along with 19 others on Sunday.
“US mission in Pakistan is prepared to provide assistance, if requested, to government authorities investigating this reprehensible act,” a US embassy statement issued from Islamabad said.
The spokesman of the mission condemned the terrorist attack on Khanzada’s political office and extended condolences to the families of the victims.
“Such blatant disregard for human life is unacceptable and contrary to the aspirations of the Pakistani people for a secure, stable, and prosperous nation,” the spokesman said.
“The United States remains committed to the people of Pakistan and to the Pakistani government’s efforts to fight terrorism and fully support Pakistan’s determination to bring to justice those behind the attack.”
UN chief condemns attack
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned Sunday’s bomb attack that killed Punjab’s Home Minister Shuja Khanzada and called for bringing to justice those responsible for the crime.
A statement issued by Ban’s spokesman expressed sympathies to the people and government of Pakistan saying, “The secretary general reiterates that nothing justifies terrorism.”
“He hopes the perpetrators will be brought to justice swiftly,” the statement said.
“The secretary general extends his condolences to the families of the victims and wishes the injured a speedy recovery.”
The attack on Punjab home minister Colonel (retd) Shuja Khanzada took place on Sunday when he was at his home-town residence (Dera) in Shadi Khan village in Attock district. More than 35 people had gathered to offer ‘Fateha’ for a close relative of the home minister who had died on Saturday in the UK.
Nineteen others were killed in the attack, including Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Hazro Police Shaukat Ali Shah, who was providing security to Khanzada.
Though it is too early to put together the exact sequence of events, a suicide attacker is thought to have entered the large room where the gathering took place.
The room was similar to a covered veranda and was completely open on at least one side. It is located next to a narrow street and the suicide bomber is thought to have entered it or blown himself up near its narrow entrance on the street. The roof caved in due to the blast, burying those present underneath.
Inspector General of Police Mushtaq Sukhera told reporters at the blast site that there was a possibility that there were two suicide bombers who struck the building.
“One attacker who entered the dera from the street side blew himself up,” he said.
A senior police official said the head of a suicide bomber had been found.
He added that a head of a calf was also found in the debris, due to which the police would also investigate if an animal had been used in the attack; the intensity of the blast appears to be far more than what can be caused by a suicide jacket.
It is the first time that such an attack has been carried out on a high-profile member of the PML-N, particularly in Punjab.
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