I was alerted by a concerned friend about this incident. Here is the latest from Geo News’s website:

So far, 4 people have died and 8 have been injured. Do check up on your loved ones and Stay safe.

ARY News

The Lahore CCPO’s office and the Rescue 15 center were targeted–both show signs of severe destruction.  The Rescue 15 building is located on Fatima Jinnah Road–formerly known as Queens Road. The Police have said that 25 people were inside the building when the blast occured.

As is the case in such scenarios, there are conflicting counts for those injured or killed in this incident.  Geo TV’s website reports 10 killed and 83 injured.  However, according to Edhi’s services, 30 people have been killed so far.   According to the DCO Lahore, 23 people have died due to the blast.

TV news reports say 3 security personnel are among the dead.  Watching Express 24/7, they say 120 to 130 people have been injured but that the numbers come from two main hospitals serving the victims right now, which includes Ganga Ram Hospital.  The casualties are expected to rise.

Emergency crews are continuing to pull people out of the rubble–and aerial surveillance is also underway at the site. Markets in the surrounding areas have been closed down.

Those in Lahore have been requested to donate blood.  Contact 042-756-8724 or 8725 to find out more about the donation process.

Two suspects arrested by the police

According to DCO Lahore Sajjad Bhutta, this was a suicide car bombing. 2 suspects have been arrested by the local police. Eyewitness reports also confirm the incident as a car bombing.

Earlier this morning, I turned on the TV–when the news came of this blast in Lahore.  At the time, 150 people were reported injured–and children are trapped inside St. Anthony’s school near the Mall.  Now it is reported the students have been sent home with their family members.

It is reported that 35 adjacent buildings have been damaged by the intensity of the blast. Also, that the explosion created a crater 20 feet deep at the site.

I also heard that the windows for Quaid-e-Azam library have been shattered. Friends on Facebook who work near the area also reported shattered windows, falling ceilings.

Blast Site

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Razas Gilani have both condemned the attack.

We here at Lahore Metblogs will keep updating this–as more information comes in.

Do pray for those affected by this tragic incident.

Some news sources for those interested: 

• Dawn  , specifically this story
• Geo TV, specifically this article

As Indian Punjab sunk into violence and unrest, a Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus enroute to Lahore from Delhi as part of the international service between two historical cities has been stopped as a precaution at Ludhiana Sadar Police Station. The move came as violence errupted in all major cities and towns of the Indian Punjab province after a revered Sikh Guru was killed in a Gurdawara shoot-out at Vienna, Austria. Inflamed protestors burnt tyres, vehicles and a train in cities like Jalandhar.

All passengers of the ‘Dosti Bus’, including both Indians and Pakistanis, are safe and will continue their journey once events die down and safety is ensured for the rest of their journey.

Sister cities of Lahore and Delhi just got transportation links restored a few years back after decades of cut-out; a luxury that again gets threatened by unrest on either side of the border. In 2007, about 65 passengers were burnt alive when the train link between the two cities, termed as ‘Samjhota Express’ was targeted near Panipat in India. Most recently India has expressed its reservation over the security of the bus service within Pakistan borders, a claim which Pakistani authorities say is unnecessary keeping in view the greater loss of Pakistani life on the Indian side resulting from sabotage and lack of proper security.

Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix lands in Lahore

Spotted at Allama Iqbal International  Airport - Hasan’s Flickr

Zinda dilaan-e-Lahore

SAVE PAKISTAN!
Citizens of Lahore

Young Birds Show is being arranged under the auspices of the Budgerigar Society Of Pakistan at the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Lahore today, March 29th, 2009.

Connecting Nation with Nature!

Our first National Bird Show 2006 was organized on September 24, 2006 at Avari Hotel, Lahore. Large number of families and fanciers attended this show from different parts of the country including Sialkot, Islamabad, Gujranwala, Multan, Bahawalpur and other parts of the country.

BSP management believes that these kinds of shows which are organized on international standards & rules so it will have long term effects for improving the image of Pakistan abroad.

I so want to go but, missing a  plan, sadly enough!
Get connected? ;)

Police block a street in Lahore ahead of Long March

Photo Courtesy: SeeNReport

The Government has literally let lose all patience in stopping lawyers, political activists, members of the civil society and the common people from reaching Islamabad for the lawyer’s mass sit-in. In Karachi, the launchpad of the march, we saw authorities blocking highways, baton-charging marchers and mass arrests of the participants. Situation may spiral out of control as there are reports of further clashes, protests, arrests and cars being set on fire in the metropolis.

Situation might not be different in Punjab and rest of the Sindh province, where Section 144 was imposed restricing public gatherings and processions of any sorts, as the march proceeds towards Islamabad.

Bloggers around the country are providing hand-on news of the Long March as it happens. Teeth Maestro is doing live coverage of the march by getting updates from people using wide number of sources and means including Twitter.

You can watch further citizen journalism updates on SeeNReport’s Long March page.

Effective from today, Section 144 has been imposed throughout Punjab to bar public gatherings, protests or processions of the lawyers movement and their supporters. The Long March is to begin simultaneously from Karachi and Quetta on March 12 to reach Lahore on the 14th and arriving at Islamabad’s Constitution Avenue on March 16.

By official orders, army has been called in 30 while rangers in 11 districts of the Punjab province giving a clear sign that the Government seriously does not want things to proceed so easily. Security forces have also started search operations for prominent leaders to put them behind bars or under house arrest while the PML(N) leadership is asking the civil administration to not obey the ‘illegitimate’ orders.

Interior Minister, Rehman Malik, has on the other hand warned of dire consequences to law-breakers and anyone causing social unrest or igniting a security situation in the capital. For security reasons, he has also proposed the organizers of the Long March to chose a venue other than the sensitive Constitution Avenue. Lawyers rejected the government’s concern by guaranteeing that there will not be any law and order violation and crowds will be behaving according to a pre-defined code of march.

Both fronts are determined to their respective ambitions causing anxiety and fear of mass political or security instability in an already weakened nation. And unfortunately, our leaders have yet to realize how bad the situation for Pakistan has really become.

Section 144 was imposed in Lahore and in several other cities of Punjab on Tuesday for three days effective from Wednesday. The crack down agains different politicians and lawyers has been started.

Under the section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), no protest, march or gathering of people at one place would be allowed. These cities include Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Sheikhupura, Pakpattan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Gujrat.

The decision has been taken just a day before the date of proposed long march and when the President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari is not in the country.

The government has been trying hard to stop the long march of lawyers and different political parties. For this reason, the government has imposed section 144 in different districts of Punjab and lists have been provided to the police officials for the instant arrest of different lawyers and political leaders.

The decision was taken after a long meeting held in office of Capital City Police Officer Lahore. The officials are denying any arrests so far whereas; the media has been reporting that many people have been arrested.

It is being considered the worst crack down so far. The government may deploy army in as many as 30 districts of Punjab province, whereas; the rangers will be deployed in 11 districts in face of lawyers and other political activists.

On other side, the politicians and the lawyers are still encouraging people to go for a peaceful long march and struggle peacefully to make this long march a success.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Mian Shahbaz Sharif on Tuesday urged police and administration to defy unconstitutional orders. ‘The government could not stop the people from joining the long march. The people shall reach Islamabad at all costs’, he said.

Ali Ahmed Kurd, the president of The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) said, ’Section 144 could not stop the people from joining the long march’. ‘The lawyers are peaceful and the long march and subsequent sit-in will also be peaceful’, he added.