Blast near Arfa Tower in Lahore [26 killed, 57 injured]

[Waseem]

An explosion has been heard near Arfa Kareem Tower, in Lahore.

According to Express News, the blast, who nature could not be immediately ascertained, occurred inside a vegetable market at Ferozpur road.

Rescue teams are arriving at the blast sight.

The area is being cordoned and Bomb Disposal Squad has also been called at the scene.

At the time of explosion an anti-encroachment operation was being carried out by the Lahore Development Authority.

This developing news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1465491/explosion-heard-near-arfa-tower-lahore/

 

[WebGuru]

inna lillahi wa inallah-e-raji'oon

22 killed according to latest reports

 

[WebGuru]

And Rana Sanaullah the Law Minister of Punjab is still doing politics Inko awaam se nae apni govt se matlab he.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LahoreBlast?src=hash">#LahoreBlast</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DunyaUpdates?src=hash">#DunyaUpdates</a 'Political terrorists' are also the biggest enemy of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pakistan?src=hash">#Pakistan</a>, says Rana Sanaullah on his opponents <a href="https://t.co/Ts65FmcAa6">pic.twitter.com/Ts65FmcAa6</a></p>— Dunya News (@DunyaNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/DunyaNews/status/889461192065994753">July 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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[Waseem]

And Rana Sanaullah the Law Minister of Punjab is still doing politics Inko awaam se nae apni govt se matlab he.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LahoreBlast?src=hash">#LahoreBlast</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DunyaUpdates?src=hash">#DunyaUpdates</a 'Political terrorists' are also the biggest enemy of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pakistan?src=hash">#Pakistan</a>, says Rana Sanaullah on his opponents <a href="https://t.co/Ts65FmcAa6">pic.twitter.com/Ts65FmcAa6</a></p>— Dunya News (@DunyaNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/DunyaNews/status/889461192065994753">July 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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At a time when many innocents lost their lives, this clown tries to score political points. I would hate to see this clown getting elected again, joker is biggest terrorist sympathiser himself.

Watching live coverage, yet another sad event and loss of innocent lives. RIP to victims and May these terrorists rot in hell and hopefully this world will be worse than hell for them.

 

[Waseem]

Just read a pathetic tweet by singer Salman Ahmed as well linking the incident to Panama case, better shut up and think about victims as we know very well terrorists have hit all cities, ethnicities, provinces much before any Panama or even Nawaz government.

 

[Syed1]

Inna lillahi wa inna illahi raji'oon... latest reports are atleast 25 people are shaheed.

 

[Syed1]

Bhai kab nijaat milaygi is azaab se????

 

[mmkextreme_1]

Inna lillahi wa inna illahi raji'oon

Sad. May Allah bring sbar to the families. I really hope we get to the bottom of this and take out whoever did this.

 

[mmkextreme_1]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LahoreBlast?src=hash">#LahoreBlast</a> - 5:45 update: 26 people have lost their lives and 57 injured. <a href="https://t.co/kbXvbKUJ9k">pic.twitter.com/kbXvbKUJ9k</a></p>— Govt Of The Punjab (@GovtOfPunjab) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovtOfPunjab/status/889471401102647296">July 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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[ahmedwaqas92]

إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ

 

[shaz619]

RIP, thoughts go to the family's.

 

[Vegitto1]

May the perpetrators rot in hell

 

[Arham_PakFan]

Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilaihi Raji'un.

Condolences to the families of the bereaved.Hope the terrorists are caught immediately and brought to justice.

 

[Pakpak]

RIP.

Unfortunately it is hard not to mention politics:

Our PM is out of action, embroiled in a case
Our finance minister is out of action, embroiled in a case
Our Interior Minister is either sick or wasting time on his press conferences
Our Defence Minister is too busy wondering if he will be named PM or not
Our law Minister is busy calling people political terrorists instead of worrying about law

Because of these morons our country's government is paralysed and any half-baked terror **** will take advantage.

 

[PakLFC]

Strange that it happened when the PM seems to be on the brink. Yes, I am saying that he is involved with terrorists!

 

[WebGuru]

RIP.

Unfortunately it is hard not to mention politics:

Our PM is out of action, embroiled in a case
Our finance minister is out of action, embroiled in a case
Our Interior Minister is either sick or wasting time on his press conferences
Our Defence Minister is too busy wondering if he will be named PM or not
Our law Minister is busy calling people political terrorists instead of worrying about law

Because of these morons our country's government is paralysed and any half-baked terror **** will take advantage.

sad but true words...

 

[ExpressPacer]

Don't know if it's what Pakistan needs but I have a gut feeling that a coup is on the cards.

 

[WebGuru]

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Strange that it happened when the PM seems to be on the brink. Yes, I am saying that he is involved with terrorists!

Or it could be linked to the blast in Afghanistan in the last couple of days. One explosion there....one explosion here.

 

[King-Misbah]

Don't know if it's what Pakistan needs but I have a gut feeling that a coup is on the cards.

I very much doubt this. Panama verdict needs to be released this week, the country is paralysed as a result. The government is like an Indian family drama and the courts are taking too long.

May Allah SWT grant jannah to those who passed away and recovery to those hurt.

 

[Enigma_]

Nawaz get the hell out of the government. The guy is a leech who won't let go of the country. Stop sucking the blood out of us!

 

[Mian]

The whole government is busy defending sharif family and it looks like for them that's the only issue in Pakistan. RIP victims but this govt don't care

 

[Slog]

RIP

Why is it that wheneveer NS is on the brink there is such an attack? Always!

 

[ExpressPacer]

The government is like an Indian family drama and the courts are taking too long.

All the more reason for the military to be tempted to take over. It's happened in the past and remains a possibility still. I'm not a fan of democracy but the a military dictator isn't exactly what we need either, it may give way to separatist movements gaining in power.

 

[Markhor]

RIP to the innocents senselessly killed.

As much progress as has been made in the last two years, one cannot deny terrorists retain capacity to strike major cities including Lahore. Not for the first time this year has Lahore been hit by terror. Yet PCB thinks teams should resume touring.

This is why this World XI series is futile and also badly timed given the current political turmoil. If PCB had any sense they'd cancel it. Government is too busy prioritising its own survival.

 

[KingKhanWC]

RIP

Corruption also makes security very difficult

 

[Pakpak]

NS has 3,000 security in Lahore all for himself.

As I said, our PM is out of action because of case, our finance minister is out of action because of case, our Defence Minister is busy in the hype that he may be the next PM/attacking Imran Khan's supposed match fixing, our Interior Minster is too busy delaying his narcissistic press conferences and again worrying about Panama case, our CM of Punjab again is involved in the Panama Case and forgetting that the nation exists as well.

Because of these moronic, power-hungry, despotic criminals who refuse to resign our country is stuck with an in-operative, dysfunction and paralysed government. Which is ripe for terror groups to strike.

 

[SandyB]

RIP ..

Any idea on the perpetrators ?

 

[pakistan cricket fan]

inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un

 

[Bewal Express]

Another horrendous crime by complete losers. May Allah grant jannat to the victims and hell to the perpetrators.

 

[Pakistanian]

That's a big death toll, is it a coincidence that this happened soon after the Afghanistan attacks? Is this backlash from Afghanistan to try to get even?

 

[Hitman]

RIP!

My condolences to the families and the loved ones of the unfortunate victims. How do perpetrators of such attacks even sleep at night?

 

[Pakpak]

RIP ..

Any idea on the perpetrators ?

TTP Fazlullah's group (who now resides in Afghanistan) has claimed it using an Afghan suicide bomber as far as I am reading.

 

[KingKhanWC]

TTP Fazlullah's group (who now resides in Afghanistan) has claimed it using an Afghan suicide bomber as far as I am reading.

Aka Indian and American proxys.

 

[Pakpak]

Aka Indian and American proxys.

And our dear Afghan 'friends', yes.

Today I read that the work to fence the entire Afghan border has started, it will be fenced, barbed, it will have deep trenches and a checkpost which is manned 24/7 every 1.5Km. Naturally the Afghans are crying but this will help solve a lot of problems.

 

[leatherface58]

RIP.

This is just sad. More innocents dying.

 

[KingKhanWC]

And our dear Afghan 'friends', yes.

Today I read that the work to fence the entire Afghan border has started, it will be fenced, barbed, it will have deep trenches and a checkpost which is manned 24/7 every 1.5Km. Naturally the Afghans are crying but this will help solve a lot of problems.

It will help but I think they will be fencing the major crossing points. I dont think it's possible to fence the whole border due to the mountainous terrain in some parts.

 

[Pakpak]

It will help but I think they will be fencing the major crossing points. I dont think it's possible to fence the whole border due to the mountainous terrain in some parts.

The terrain that isn't fenced will have checkposts/forts. Point is it will become very hard for them to cross into Pakistan and then run away, there is a reason why the Afghans are whining and crying. As they have no right to, we are building the fence on OUR side on our land.

 

[KingKhanWC]

The terrain that isn't fenced will have checkposts/forts. Point is it will become very hard for them to cross into Pakistan and then run away, there is a reason why the Afghans are whining and crying. As they have no right to, we are building the fence on OUR side on our land.

I'm not sure checkpoints can be stationed in all such areas. There is also an issue of sleeper cells already present or people with warped ideology who can be influenced. The only true way to stop these is when the current ruling government(northern alliance) has gone.

 

[ShadabFakhar]

إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ. Disgusting attack. This is what a real terrorist attack looks like folks, where innocent bystanders get killed.

 

[Adil_94]

sad to see the people of Pakistan suffering at the hands of these terrorist **** yet again. With all the political turmoil in the country this is the last thing that was needed.

RIP to the victims.

 

[starbuck]

Very Sad news, RIP

 

[Pakpak]

I'm not sure checkpoints can be stationed in all such areas. There is also an issue of sleeper cells already present or people with warped ideology who can be influenced. The only true way to stop these is when the current ruling government(northern alliance) has gone.

While changing this corrupt system will help a lot the fence will do rest of the work. Even if they get past the bad terrain the army knows where the bad terrain is, every cm will now be looked at. No more rats sneaking in and then running away.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

That's a big death toll, is it a coincidence that this happened soon after the Afghanistan attacks? Is this backlash from Afghanistan to try to get even?

I suggested this earlier, but have had second thoughts since. The Afghan attack targeted the authorities, police and soldiers, this one was in a vegetable market so civilians were obviously considered dispensable. That makes this much worse.

 

[mmkextreme_1]

JIT to probe Lahore Ferozepur Road suicide attack

LAHORE (Dunya News) – The provincial government has decided to form a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the tragic suicide attack near Lahore’s Arfa Karim Software Park at Ferozepur Road which killed at least 26 people.

According to sources, it has not yet been confirmed how the suicide bomber entered in the vicinity of Arfa IT tower. The 22-hour video footage has been of least help as the cameras installed for Safe City Project failed to facilitate.

The officials have claimed that the attacker came from nearby areas of the Old Sabzi Mandi. However, several questions need to be answered like from where the suicide bomber came? How did he reach Arfa Karim Software Park? Who is responsible for the security lapse? It is quite possible that the terrorist came from a few kilometres away from attack location, which means that he was residing within the area.

JIT composition
JIT will include additional home secretary, top-tier officials of Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and police. Sources revealed that the Lahore blast is closely related with the terrorist attack at Bedian Road. Both the attackers appear identical and clothed in resembling outfits. Dressed in white shalwar kamez, they had a shoe size of 8.

Update on victims
At least 56 people were injured in the Ferozepur Road blast. Most of them are undergoing medical treatment at Lahore General Hospital. COAS Gen Qamar Bajwa had visited the victims and expressed condolences.

Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif also visited Ittefaq Hospital and vowed to probe the blast. He prayed for the quick recovery of victims.

Funeral prayers of the martyred were offered in their respective areas. Namaz-e-Janaza of Sub-Inspector Riaz was arranged in Kahna. The trader who belonged to Jehlum was buried in his hometown. Prayers were offered for ASI Fiaz and Khurram Nazir at Shahkot and Burewala respectively.

Source: http://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/398542-JIT-to-probe-Lahore-Ferozepur-Road-suicide-attack

 

[Hitman]

Hope the injured ones recover quickly and regain full health again. It's just incredibly sad realizing that those unfortunate ones might end up never being the same again physically. Hoping it doesn't happen.

 

[Markhor]

NS has 3,000 security in Lahore all for himself.

As I said, our PM is out of action because of case, our finance minister is out of action because of case, our Defence Minister is busy in the hype that he may be the next PM/attacking Imran Khan's supposed match fixing, our Interior Minster is too busy delaying his narcissistic press conferences and again worrying about Panama case, our CM of Punjab again is involved in the Panama Case and forgetting that the nation exists as well.

Because of these moronic, power-hungry, despotic criminals who refuse to resign our country is stuck with an in-operative, dysfunction and paralysed government. Which is ripe for terror groups to strike.

Someone should remind the government that leaders are meant to focus on more than one issue at a time. Every attack highlights yet again what a JOKE the National (In)Action Plan is.

There are 16 different committees meant to be monitoring the implementation of NAP - presenting terrific opportunity for individuals to pass the buck. The interior minister sits on 13 of them.

The new head of NAP implementation committee has decided to form provincial NAP implementation committees - so now the blame for NAP's failure can be shifted onto the provincial governments. This is despite the fact there's ALREADY meant to be provincial bodies overseeing NAP ! So what's the use of these new committees ?

This is why people say lives have no value in Pakistan. When the Grenfell fire happened killing over 100, not only was the PM hauled to Parliament to answer for government failures, but the local council leader had to resign and a full public inquiry has been launched.

 

[yasir]

While changing this corrupt system will help a lot the fence will do rest of the work. Even if they get past the bad terrain the army knows where the bad terrain is, every cm will now be looked at. No more rats sneaking in and then running away.

I can understand for financial corruption, blaming the politicians. But when it comes to religious violence, terrorism, it is mostly beyond the reach of main stream politicians. In many ways main stream politicians were victims of these attacks. Benazir was attack twice during 2007 election campaign, second one was fatal for her.

All these war games have only one institution's finger prints on them, loss of 60,000+ Pakistanis in last 15 years or so via suicide bombing has little to do with Nawaz or PPP or IK, but has everything to do with policies of Army. They are the one who have nurtured good and bad taliban culture, supported them at one time and rejected at other. Many Sunni extremist organizations had worked for Army, others have been funded by Oil money from the Gulf. Pakistan has been made Silicon Valley of terrorist not by PPP/NW/IK but by the policies of the institution that runs the show...Yet nobody ever raise eye brow on them, some how they get the clean chit on everything. They are not accountable for their gorilla warfare strategies, which at the end has killed Pakistani civilians the most, when we are going to see change in vision and policy around extremism as weapon ?? - If people think Army has being doing best it can or what is necessary, then lets not complain about the blood shed, that is collateral damage, unfortunately its mostly our own blood

 

[waqar goraya]

The modus operandi of terrorists here tells you that they were most likely looking for an opportunity for days or weeks. As they saw dozens of policemen gather at a public road, they decided to unleash the suicide bomber on a road which was easily accessible to the terrorist.
The only purpose to unleash mayhem and maximize deaths.

Intelligence network does stop these attacks many times but the challenge is very stiff. Our government, agencies need to do better.