Fifty suspects held in Sukkur

Attack on Chinese personnel

SUKKUR: The SSP of Sukkur, Amjad Shaikh, told a meeting on Thursday that around 50 suspects had been held in connection with investigations into an incident on Wednesday of a bomb blast along a road here leading to three camps set up for some Chinese staffers working on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).  

No one was injured in the incident. He said that the suspects belonged to some nationalist parties.  The meeting where the SSP said this on Thursday had been called by the Commissioner of Sukkur, Muhammad Abbas Baloch, to review security arrangements for the Chinese staff in the wake of Wednesday’s bomb blast. 

The meeting was attended by the DIG of Sukkur, Syed Feroz Shah, Colonel Imtiaz, Wing Commander of the Rangers, Colonel Shujaat of the Pakistan Army and the SSPs and DCs of their respective districts.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah, taking notice of the blast allegedly to target Chinese engineers in Sukkur, ordered the commissioner of Sukkur and the DIG to furnish a report to him and ensure security for the Chinese staff working on CPEC project.

At the meeting held by the commissioner of Sukkur, it was also decided to install mobile jammers in the vehicles of the Chinese staff, and double cabin vehicles should be used for their transportation instead of common vehicles.

CCTV cameras would be installed outside the camp offices of the Chinese staff who would not travel around without guards. A quick response force comprising personnel of police, the Army and the Rangers would be established.

Sukkur Commissioner Muhammad Abbas Baloch ordered the SSPs concerned to collect record of stone crushing plants and explosives used for crushing the stones. He also ordered them to seal illegal stone crushing plants and collect data of employees working at such plants to ensure their security clearance.

The commissioner also told the meeting that he would request the government to cancel the permits of those stone crushing plants that were situated along the National Highway. Giving further details about Wednesday’s incident, SSP Amjad Shaikh and SP Mansoor Mughul told the meeting that the low-intensity device used for the blast carried 500 grams of explosive material, and it had been planted in a bicycle which went off when a vehicle of some Chinese engineers was passing through the Rohri-Sallah Patt road.  They said that the Chinese staff remained safe.

It may be recalled here that on December 10 a blast of a similar nature had occurred on the Tando Jam road in Hyderabad which left a Rangers man injured. The SSP of Hyderabad had said that the Indian agency, RAW, might have carried out the blast.