At least six people were injured in a blast which occurred in Karachi’s Gulistan-i-Jauhar area, media reported.
The blast reportedly targeted a Mehfil-i-Milad being held near the Perfume Chowk in Block 18 area of the neighbourhood. SSP East Azfar Mahesar told Dawn that unidentified attackers riding a motorcycle reportedly hurled a cracker near the venue.
The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency medical treatment, where the condition of two people was said to be critical and they were later shifted to Jinnah hospital.
The Mehfil-i-Milad was organised by MQM-Pakistan, media reported. IT Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and MQM leader Khawaja Izharul Hasan were in attendance at the event, but remained unhurt.
Police, however, clarified that the gathering was arranged without taking prior permission from relevant authorities.
Moreover, initial reports suggested that suspects riding a motorbike threw cracker and fled away, Mahesar said.
Soon after the incident, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah telephoned Khawaja Izhar and Faisal Subzwari and inquired about the incident.
Khawaja Izhar informed the chief minister that his driver and Khalid Maqbool Siddiqi’s coordinator were among those injured in the attack.
The area was cordoned off following the blast and Bomb Disposal Squad was called to examine and clear the area, the officer said.
