PESHAWAR: Suspected militants hurled a hand grenade at a mosque in the suburban area of Peshawar on Thursday evening, police said.
They said that two motorcyclists hurled a hand grenade at a mosque in Mera Kachori area in the limits of Badhber police station at about 7pm and managed to escape.
They said that the blast damaged a portion of the mosque, however, there was no report of loss of life in the incident. People were present in the mosque at the time of attack but they remained unhurt, they added.
They said that the mosque known as Peerano Mosque was supervised by people associated with Barelvi sect.
“Our people reached the spot immediately and conducted search operation for arrest of the motorcyclists but so far no one could be held,” an official said, adding that the area was close to the border of Khyber Agency and anyone could easily escape towards the tribal region.
Meanwhile, keeping in view the increasing incidents of kidnapping for ransom, the district administration directed the owners of various buildings to devise their own private security plans.
The property owners were asked to install close circuit television cameras on prominent places in the plazas to check movement of suspected people and vehicles round the clock.
The decision was taken in a meeting held here on Thursday with Deputy Commissioner Syed Zaheerul Islam here on Thursday. Assistant Commissioner Asad Haroon was appointed focal person to keep close liaison with the owners of different plazas and markets.
The office of assistant commissioner was declared control room so that people could easily contact it in case of any untoward incident. The owners of different high-rise buildings also attended the meeting.
The administration especially focused on the plazas housing clinics to convey to the owners, doctors and other relevant people to increase number of their private security guards and keep vigilance on movement of people.
Similarly, the property owners were directed to take make arrangements for security of doctors and ensure vigilant security particularly at the time of doctors’ arrival and departure so that any possible attempt of kidnapping could timely be foiled.An official privy to the meeting told Dawn that traders and owners of the buildings assured the administration of cooperation, however, they demanded regular police patrolling.
Also, 15 vendors and shopkeepers were arrested in Board Bazaar for creating hurdles in the smooth flow of traffic.
In a related development, representatives of various organisations of traders demanded of the government to take appropriate steps to for protection of businessmen.
Zafar Khattak, a representative of traders, told a press conference here on Thursday that several blasts had taken place in Qissa Khwani and other bazaars but the government was yet to compensate the affected people.
“The government compensated the families of church blast victims on foreign pressure but the poor traders and workers suffered in the explosions last year are yet to be compensated,” he said.
Mr Khattak asked the government to take appropriate steps for safety and security of businessmen.