Farooq Tariq of Labor Party Pakistan shares an eyewitness account of his children who were on the scene of the suicide bomb blast in Lahore today.
“I was waiting at the school lounge for uncle Allah Ditta to pick me up after the school time was over. We heard the first blast and it was not very powerful but frightening. Our teacher said that it is army that is firing in the area; there is no need to worry about. Then, came the real one. The earth under our feet was moving away from us, it was like an earthquake. I started crying so were many more children. The teachers asked us to move away from the walls and come in the ground in an open place. I saw my teachers in tears as well. The uncle Allah Ditta arrived and I went with him.”
This was what my 10 year old son A. Farooq told me when I called him after the blast today. He is class three student at Lahore Grammar School Landmark project at Arif Jan Road Lahore Cantonment.
The blast today at RA Bazaar was only few hundred meters away from the school building. It seems that over 50 have been killed and many more injured in the deadly suicidal attack today at an army vehicle by some religious fanatics.
My daughter M. Farooq (16) School was also nearby and there were similar scene there with children crying and glass broken of several cars. She told me that she started crying as the first thought I had was that the blast has blown my brother school and my mother was also supposed to pick us up today. So were many more fear-provoking thoughts coming to my mind. We had wait for some time before uncle Allah Ditta came to pick me.
Our driver Allah Ditta was an eye witness to the blast. He was outside the school to pick A Farooq when the blast occurred. “I saw several cars glasses broken because of the intensity of the blast next to ours. Fortunately there was no damage to our car. I rushed to the scene after the second blast. Many were running to our side with a lot of blood coming out of their bodies. There were body parts everywhere. I had not seen such a terrifying scene in my life. Several drivers were injured as well. I was little late to pick A Farooq. If I would have picked A Farooq in time, I would have gone to area where there blast happened because I had to take a U turn from that corner to go to M Farooq School. So it was luck by chance. There Ambulances in few minutes and I saw several bodies been carried away on military truck with blood still soaking on the road. At one time, there were injured people waiting for ambulances but it was shortage of them” he told me.
I was also at the scene of the blast at 11am around two hours before the incident. I had to deposit the school fee of A Farooq and M Farooq at Habib Bank RA Bazaar. The Bank is located next to the scene of the blast. There were ordinary security measures at the place. Anyhow, all the cars had to stop at a barricades eructed by the police some 800 meters away from the scene.
This was the second blast in four days on police and army instillations and conveys. The one on 8th March had also been one of the worst in Lahore with a massive 600 kilograms of explosive used to destroy the building of the Special Investigation Unit. Today’s attack on an army truck is first of its kind. It seems that the religious fanatics have changes their strategy of attacking the ordinary markets that was the practices during last year.
The two attacks have also blown the claim of the government that it has controlled the religious fanatics by occupying their areas. Aided with American drone attacks, Pakistan Army is carrying out a military operation since June 2009. Many ordinary people have been victims of the barbarism of the both sides. There is no end of this madness on both sides. The Americans Imperialism and Pakistani government are convinced that only a military solution is the only one. So are the religious fanatics who believe that they will teach a lesson to the military and police against the attacks on their homes.
Lahore is once again becoming a dangerous place to live. The two attacks in a week time have shaken the confidence of every one and many feel insecure all the time. I had to rush home after the blast from the office to calm my children who were still terrified”
Comments
7 responses to “Eyewitness to Suicidal Attack in Lahore”
horrible yar… just too bad! 3 blasts in Lahore today. Guess the TTP when they said have 3000 bombers on the run… may hav been right! We need to worry about the remaining 2997 !
It's a horrible day for Pakistan. I am afraid it's not the last horrible day in spite of our leaders are telling us that we are winning the war on the western front.
Actually it is pay back time. We have been fighting some one else's war and now it seems that those people we have been allowed to be killed by Yankee drone attacks and by our own army are back for revenge or is it Yankee paid mercenaries? or both? We have created this mess and now the people of Pakistan will have to pay for it while our "brave" leaders like Nowaz, showbaz Zardari etc. are enjoying behind safe walls. I see that PPP, PML-N and PMl-Z is still winning elections. Then now wonder that we haven't moved an inch towards sanity
Observer,
agree with you. Its easy to call brainwashed, but what do we expect when our army bombs and kill their families?
Would they throw flowers at us? I guess we are getting the same flowers that US got when they invaded Iraq.
I requst Pakistan Army to please let Pakistanis live in Peace and if they still want to continue their monkey business then they should stop manouvering in cities in Army Vehicles.
All targets are for people of Pakistan.
Govt and army wouldn't move inch from their stance adopted in Musharraf regime no matter how much civilians or lower rank soldiers killed for no reason.
So people are being harassed to support its govt and army at all costs.
Iqbal town blasts have some other agenda mostly to divert the attention of media and LEA for hours in lahore vicinity.
So what was done around here is still a mystery as this town is only popular for its lower rated crime activities and no army bases are even located near to this area.
It was no interesting point of view that rehman malik has all time information of such blasts and he predicted the presence of all suicidal bombers in our cities but couldnt locate a real culprit before time.
Most of bombs were planted along with timely and triggering device and it goes against the inquiry of govt which is all time stick to its high profile investigation that suicidal bombers are involved .This time people had seen attackers along with loaded guns and grenade same manner like parade lane mosque was attacked.While attacking like that bombs planted in nearby places were exploded as suicidal jacket cant produce such a heavy jerk and black smoke that had covered the area more than half an hour.
The tragic incidents of violence must not deter our commitment to fight this war. The terrorists are losing support every passing day. Rest assured with the right of amount of power and persuasion and with public support we can end this war !!
The scene as explained by the young kids is saddening. Taliban who send faxes to media telling that they don’t want to hurt innocent lives don’t realize that exactly what they are doing.
If you kill them their women and children they will do the same to you.