KARACHI: A bomb killed at least two people and wounded eight others in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi Friday, police and hospital officials said.
The blast reportedly damaged buildings and triggered panic in the densely populated Malir district.
“A timed device planted underneath a pushcart exploded with a big bang, killing two people and wounding eight others,” senior police official Irfan Ali Bahadur told AFP.
Nobody has so far claimed responsibility but Karachi, the country’s economic and commercial hub, has long been in the grip of militant, sectarian and ethic violence.
Police cordoned off the area after the explosion and bomb disposal officials were called to the scene.
Seemi Jamali, a senior doctor at Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center where the dead and wounded were brought, confirmed the toll and said two of the injured were in a critical condition.
Violence in Pakistan has declined dramatically in recent years following a series of military operations along the northwestern border with Afghanistan, but militant groups are still able to carry out deadly attacks.
Bomb kills two, injures eight in Karachi
Bomb kills two, injures eight in Karachi
- The blast reportedly damaged buildings and triggered panic in the densely populated Malir district
- Nobody has claimed responsibility so far
Pakistan traders seek waiver of port charges on Afghan cargo after re-export approval
- Afghan transit trade stalled after border closure following last year’s skirmishes between the two countries
- Government’s re-export approval allows stranded Afghan cargo to be shipped out without entering Pakistan
KARACHI: Pakistani traders and logistics operators are calling for waivers and rationalization of detention and demurrage charges incurred on Afghan transit cargo that remained stuck at ports after cross-border trade with Afghanistan came to a halt, according to a trade body statement issued on Saturday.
The appeal follows a government decision earlier this month allowing the re-export of stranded Afghan transit goods, after prolonged border closures prevented cargo from moving onward to Afghanistan, leaving containers immobilized at Pakistani seaports and border crossing points.
Afghan transit trade through Pakistan was disrupted following the closure of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border due to skirmishes between the two countries in October last year, causing congestion at ports and triggering escalating detention and demurrage charges. Industry representatives say the situation imposed a substantial financial burden on importers, clearing agents and transporters, even though the goods were never intended for Pakistan’s domestic market.
“[We have] been actively engaging with the Directorate General of Transit Trade (DGTT), South Asia Pakistan Terminals (SAPT), and other port and terminal operators, including through formal representations, to seek waivers and rationalization of detention and demurrage charges,” the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) said.
The chamber said it had taken up the matter of stranded Afghan transit trade goods with the Ministry of Commerce following a high-level meeting held on Jan. 10, after which the ministry issued a notification on Jan. 12 permitting the re-export of stranded cargo from the ports of Karachi and Gwadar and designated border crossing points.
PAJCCI said its coordinated engagement with government departments and terminal operators aims to ensure the re-export decision results in “practical relief on ground,” enabling the smooth clearance and movement of cargo while preventing further financial losses for the trade community.
Pakistan’s commerce ministry has not publicly commented on whether waivers on detention and demurrage charges will be granted.
