The incident happened when a procession of mourners was coming out of Darbaar-e-Hussain Imam Bargah in Khanpur some 250 km south of Multan.The procession, known as Alam Wala, had to join the major procession in the sub district on the Shahid road. When it reached near the Darkhawasti Square, the bomb, planted near an electricity pole, went off killing some people on the spot.More than 700 people were attending the procession.The bomb had also affected the building of the Khanpur Police Station and other buildings in a circle of 200 feet around the spot of the building.Eye witnesses told that bomb was planted; relatives of the deceased and victims said that they themselves have extracted nut bolts from the bodies.However RPO Bahawalpur Abid Qadri and DPO Rahim Yar Khan Sohail Chatta had earlier denied reports and said that the incident occurred when the Alam got stuck in the power lines causing the transformer in the Darkhawasti Square to explode.The mourners, gathered at the procession, protested after the incident by beating up the DPO and DCO and by attacking the police station, blaming the police of negligence. The police had to disperse the mob by aerial firing and shelling. DSP Khalid Bhatti was suspended on the charges of negligence.The mourners surrounded the city police station and refused to vacate the main road. They also announced that they will not offer the funeral prayers until the perpetrators are arrested.
The protesters also attacked the journalists for spreading misinformation about the incident. Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) officials told that the RPO and DPO had given out false statements as there was no transformer present on the spot.RPO Abid Qadiri has arrived in Khanpur to negotiate with the mourners and religious scholars who have besieged the police station.At least eight injured people were shifted to Tehsil Headquarter Hospital (THQ) Khanpur and according to MS Jameel Akhtar, they are now out of danger but will be kept in the hospital for the next 24 hours.About 30 critically injured people were shifted to Sheikh Zaid Hospital Rahim Yar Khan. According to MS Sheikh Zaid Hospital Capt Retired Mushtaq Ahmed, out of the injured people, 23 were in a very critical condition.Principal Sheikh Zaid Medical College Prof Muhammad Saeed told The Express Tribune that they enacted the emergency in the hospital and also called all doctors even those who were on vacations.Seeing the situation worsening, the Rangers took control of Khanpur sub district because the mourners surrounded the police and kept blaming it for negligence and not checking the route of the procession properly.Police have collected important proofs related to the investigation.The Shia Ulema council and Shia Azadari council staged protests across Punjab condemning the blast and blamed government for its negligence.Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif announced Rs500, 000 for each of the deceased’s families and Rs100,000 each to the injured mourners.
