Strange hearts that care and kill children

Source Dawn

Before blasting the Police Colony that killed 20 people here last week, the three terrorists behind the attack had told children to keep away from their explosives-laden vehicle, according to eyewitnesses.


Shafiur Rehman, a technician at the control room of Police Lines whose quarter was destroyed in the blast, told Dawn that people had seen three persons talking to each other outside the colony where the vehicle had been parked.

“I have been residing in the colony for 16 years where mostly Grade IV employees live for whom free accommodation was not less than a blessing. Now hopes and happiness of some of us lie buried under rubble. One of the residents lost his wife and four children. Others lost all their children and have no desire to live here any more,” he said.

Residents of the colony going to mosque, after breaking the fast, saw a double cabin pick-up parked outside the colony and two suspicious-looking motorcyclists talking to each other nearby. “We took them to be non-locals and thought of inviting them to dinner after returning from the mosque,” recalled Mr Rehman.

Some children who survived the blast told their parents that the vehicle stuck in a drain near the main entrance while being driven into the colony. Three bearded men came out of it and asked the children playing very close to their vehicle to scamper as it is going to blow up.

After delivering the warning they themselves ran towards the motorcyclists waiting for them.

“There were two motorcyclists waiting outside the colony. One was waiting at Police Lines side i.e. north and the other in the south at Hangu bypass side to take out the driver safely in case one of them was stuck in the traffic jam or police cordon after the blast,” eyewitnesses said.


They said that as there was no security at the time of Iftar the bomber easily left towards the bypass on the motorcycle.


The investigators say had the residents of the colony informed police about the presence of suspicious vehicle and persons the disaster could have been avoided.

After lapse of nine days none of the planners and the executors of the bomb blast has been traced.

Inspector General of Police Fiaz Khan Toru had claimed that they would arrest the culprits behind the gory incident within 48 hours during visit of the site along with the corps commander, Peshawar.