KARACHI: A blast occurred near a centre of the Ehsaas Program in Liaquatabad area on Friday leaving one person and six others injured.
Contingents of Police and Rangers have reached the site of the incident and are conducting initial investigation. The injured have been shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.
Bomb disposal squad has also reached the site of the incident and said that the blast was an improvised cracker device.
Superintendent Police (SP) Liaquatabad said that the incident occurred in Liaquatabad No. 10, where the centre was disbursing cash among the needy.
According to the policeman, a Rangers officer was also wounded in the attack and a vehicle of the security forces parked nearby was also damaged.
He said the wounded in the attack were beneficiaries who had gathered to withdraw cash under the programme. He said that unknown men had earlier today threw a hand grenade at the gate of the centre and fled from the scene.
Governor Sindh Imran Ismail has taken notice and called Inspector General Sindh to get complete details about the incident.
He said the provision of security at the Ehsaas centre was the responsibility of the police and no lapse will be tolerated in this regard. He said the IGP Sindh should take action and arrest those responsible for the unfortunate incident.
Ehsaas Emergency Cash program has been launched by the prime minister on April 1, 2020 due to economic hardship being experienced by the vulnerable due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
The financial assistance under the program is meant to help them buy rations. The program covers 12 million families providing 12,000 per family and has a total budget Rs144 billion.
