Pakistan’s security forces killed four terrorists who Monday attempted to storm the Pakistan Stock Exchange compound in the port city of Karachi soon after they mounted gun and grenade attack on the building.
A police officer with the rank of sub-inspector and two security guards lost their lives as they combatted the attackers. Pakistani political leaders and people hailed the bravery of the police officers and security guards in foiling the attack.
Armed with grenades and automatic rifles, the gunmen launched the attack and attempted to enter the PSX compound, which is in a high-security zone that also houses the head offices of several banks.
Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), an Afghanistan-based terrorist organization has claimed responsibility for the attack. The BLA has been listed as terrorist organization by the United States, United Kingdom and Pakistan.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also hinted at India’s involvement in the attack. He said India has activated its sleeper cells in Pakistan to disrupt peace in the country.
India has rejected Pakistani charges of involvement.
External Affairs Ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said “unlike Pakistan, India has no hesitation in condemning terrorism anywhere in the world including in Karachi.”
Pakistan’s enemy is naked in its aggression. Make no mistake, today’s attack in Karachi is state-sponsored terrorism against Pakistan. Our valiant countrymen and women have fought against this menace before and our resolve remains resolute.
— Moeed W. Yusuf (@YusufMoeed) June 29, 2020
Pakistan and India regularly exchange fire across the Line of Control in the disputed Kashmir region, and the Indian officials and some TV anchors openly express joy at terror attacks originating from Balochistan, where some groups have been fighting against the Pakistani state.
While condemning the attack , Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on national security Moeed Yusuf said the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and India have established links that the Indian government uses to carry out state-sponsored terrorism in Pakistan.
The BLA has previously targeted Chinese commercial interest in the city.
In a tweet on Monday, he said that BLA is an international listed terror organization, while India which is run by a fascist government, uses its proxies for promoting terrorism.
“There is an established link between BLA, an international listed terror organization, and India, a state led by [a] fascist government that has again perpetrated terrorism in Pakistan through its proxies,” he wrote.
The United States has condemned the terror attack in the heart of Karachi.
We condemn today’s horrible attack on the Karachi Stock Exchange. Our deepest condolences go out to the victims and their families. We stand with Pakistan in ensuring the terrorists responsible are brought to justice.
— State_SCA (@State_SCA) June 29, 2020
The provincial Sindh Police said advanced weaponry, hand grenades, explosive materials and food were recovered from the terrorists who were shot dead.
Officials of the Bomb Disposal Unit also arrived at the scene of the attack and scoured the site, including a “suspected car” parked outside PSX that may have been used by the terrorists, for any explosive material, according to Dawn newspaper.
Sindh Rangers Director General Omer Ahmed Bukhari, during a press conference, said that the terrorists were eliminated within eight minutes. He told reporters that a combined operation by security agencies started at 10:02am and the attackers were killed by 10:10am.
Once the attackers were killed, security forces carried out a clearance operation and normalcy was restored to the area within 30-35 minutes.
Bukhari said that the terrorists had planned a long assault, that included bloodshed and holding people inside the building hostage. All the attackers were equipped with AK47s, hand grenades and food, he revealed.
تمام دہشت گردوں کو آٹھ منٹ میں ٹھکانے لگانے والے سندھ پولیس کے بہادر جوانوں کی کارکردگی لائق تحسین ہے۔ تمام شہداء بشمول پولیس اہلکار اور پرائیویٹ سیکیورٹی اہلکار جنہوں نے اپنی جان کا نذرانہ پیش کیا کو خراج تحسین پیش کرتا ہوں۔ ان بہادروں کی وجہ سے ہی ہمارے لوگ محفوظ ہیں۔ pic.twitter.com/q76kZqOLqm
— Dr. Arif Alvi (@ArifAlvi) June 29, 2020
The DG said that a tweet had been posted in which the attack has been attributed to the Balochistan Liberation Army outfit, a terrorist organization adding that a final statement on it will be issued after investigation.
The attack, he said, bore similarities to an attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi that was carried out by BLA militants in 2018.
The official denied the suggestion that the attack represented an intelligence failure, adding that security forces’ response was “in place” and the militants “could not achieve any of their motives”.
In recent years, Indian officials have openly threatened Pakistan with inflaming unrest in Balochistan, the strategic province where the $ 60 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor culminate into an international connection with the Gulf region via Gwadar deep seaport.
