Data Darbar Attacked: Suicide Bombers Murder 40+ in their War Against Pakistan

Posted on July 1, 2010
Filed Under >Adil Najam, Disasters, Law & Justice
89 Comments
Total Views: 62894

Adil Najam

(Editor’s note: Beware, the pictures here may be graphic and disturbing for some readers. Although, no more disturbing than the reality of murder and inhumanity that they depict.)

It was just weeks ago that we were humming along with Arif Lohar about selling wangaaN (bangles) at Data Sahib (the shrine of Data Ganj Bakhsh Hajveri) in Lahore. Today, brutal murderers ruthlessly butchered at least 40 innocent Pakistanis and injured another 170 in a heinous and dastardly suicide attack on Data Durbar that specifically targeted the vulnerable, the poor, the religious, the helpless in their ongoing war against Pakistan. This is one more in a string of attacks in and around Lahore which seem to have picked up just as momentum gathers for an operation against militants and extremists in the Punjab in the aftermath of the attack on Ahmedi worshipers in Lahore.


That Lahore’s single most iconic and revered location has been attacked – and on a jumaraat, which many consider to be sacred – reeks with symbolism and speaks volumes about the depth of hatred that these murderers have for all things Pakistan. Yes, I take this personally. Just as I have taken every murder of innocent Pakistanis anywhere in Pakistan, personally. Anyone who loves Lahore cannot hear of this and not have a shiver go down the spine; as it went mine. But that shiver is now a nearly daily occurrence. Whatever the symbolism of Data Sahib may be, it is paled by the outrage at the murder – yet again – of innocent people: the begunah, the masoom!

I would like to find the words to express that outrage, to express what Data Darbar means to so many, to describe the pain that pounds me once again as it has each time these murderers have hit Pakistanis anywhere. I would like to do that but – quite literally – my hands are trembling, my eyes have swelled up, and that shiver up my spine has gripped my entire body. Maybe later I will find the words to say what I need to say, but right now I ponder only on the darkness that resides in the hearts of the men who commit these acts, those who plan them, and those who choose to justify them.

For now, all I can do is to give you the essential details, as reported in Dawn:

LAHORE: In the first terrorist attack of its kind in the Punjab capital, two alleged suicide bombers blew themselves up at the Data Ganj Bakhsh shrine on Thursday night, killing at least 40 people and injuring 170 others. The first explosion took place in the basement reserved for ablution and the second in front of the shrine’s main building where a large number of people from across the province gather for worship on Thursdays.

At first, police announced that some crackers had exploded near the shrine. The two bombers entered the shrine and exploded themselves three minutes apart. Surveillance cameras, walkthrough gates and metal detectors turned out to be ineffective. Around 100 volunteers and several policemen were present in and around the shrine, searching visitors thoroughly.

Senior Superintendent of Police (Operations) Chaudhry Shafiq Ahmad told Dawn that two suicide attacks had been carried out and investigators had found the bombers’ skulls and limbs. He said ball-bearings and other material used in the blasts had also been collected. Lahore Commissioner Khusro Pervaiz Bakhtiar told journalists at the spot that the bombers had blown themselves up during a large congregation. In reply to a question about involvement of a foreign hand in the attack, he said the strike was a horrible conspiracy but “our own people become instruments in the hands of others”.

The official said an investigation had been launched about the breach in security measures. According to witnesses, the explosions were so powerful that a large number of people fell down and several of them were injured in a stampede. The shrine’s administration announced seconds after the first blast that a generator had exploded in the basement and they might continue their activities. The bomb disposal squad estimated that 10-15kgs of explosives had been used in each suicide jacket.

Ambulances of Rescue 1122 and the Edhi Foundation took the bodies and injured people to hospitals. According to a devotee, two gates on the north and south side of the shrine, which usually remain closed, were open on Thursday. He suspected that the bombers had entered through those gates. Scores of enraged people gathered outside the shrine and protested against terror attacks. They also damaged public and private property. There were reports that a cracker was exploded before the suicide blasts to create a panic.

Police evacuated Data Darbar to collect evidence and carry out rescue work. All commercial and residential buildings adjoining the shrine were also searched for suspects. Following the blasts, an extensive crackdown was launched across the city and several people were detained for interrogation. A suspect was also taken into custody near the Darbar. Rumours of terror attacks on other shrines in the city panicked devotees and police also launched a search operation there. Security was beefed up in and around all shrines and religious places.

89 responses to “Data Darbar Attacked: Suicide Bombers Murder 40+ in their War Against Pakistan”

  1. down with taliban says:

    Talabanee apologizers say this mayhem is in retaliation. There is new terrorist group which is called ghazi group, who are so called avengers of laal masjid. they are killing innocent people to take avenge. they beleive they were wronged and this is just a retaliation

    My question is in last three years after laal masjid these salafi beasts have killed hundreds and thousands of civilians. Why dont a civilian who lost his or her loved ones in these brutalities can take revenge from these talabanee beasts. It is because these talabness and ghazis or whtever are organized killers who take dictation from oil money from saudi arabia. this is there planned action.

    pakistan had the potential to be the asian tiger and these arabs and afghanis beasts cldnt stand that pakistan shall progress. The way they keep pakistani slaves in arab countries in the same way they wanted to enslave the whole country in the name of religious blood bathed salafi ideology.

    khud hurem mai baith ker shrabain paitain hain, auratoon ka rape kertain hain, child sexual abuse is common too in these talabanees and arab sheikhs and then they also do politics on the name of yazeedi idealogy. no one is safe from them, ahmdeis, shias, sunnis, christians, hindus, they will kill everyone and anynone, even a saint who died 900 yrs ago and converted hundreds and thousands of down trodden people in subcontinent to isalm through love and generosity is not safe. they will kill a dead man and rape a died woman, and cut into pieces the body of dead child.

    their hatred doesnot stop with your death, wake up people and say no to religious extremism. Those sunnis who sympathised with these, cause it was either the christains persecuted or ahmedis murdered or a shia killed, now need to wake up. cause now its sunnis turn to be killed by this salafi beast.

    Make Pakistan clean, say no religion’s interference in state, say no to aplogizers of talaban, say no to media channels giving airtime to yazeedi soch, say no to politicians like nawaz sharif who make deals with talaban.

  2. Tasleem says:

    I request ATP to do a special pictorial post with as many pictures of what these killers have done as possible. We need to keep reminding ourselves of their brutality.

  3. Riaz Haq says:

    Tragic as it is, I don’t think the real identities and the agendas of the patrons and the financiers of such heinous attacks are well understood. The list of possible backers appears to be long and diverse, extending from self-serving Pakistani politicians to elements within Pakistani and/or foreign intelligence agencies. Each of them have their own agenda to exploit the internal divisions and the availability of remote-controlled human drones willing to commit such acts for their own misguided reasons and motivations. I personally believe that India is at or near the top of the list of suspects in this unfolding tragedy.

    I am basing my opinion on the track record (RAW’s extensive role in East Pak and Balochistan) and the desire (as expressed through multiple Op Eds and analyses carried by Indian media) of the Indian security establishment. It can also be seen in India’s so-called “think tanks” and “analysts” which are the product of a revolving door in Delhi copied directly from Washington like the Bollywood knockoffs of Hollywood.

    Please read: http://www.riazhaq.com/2010/07/who-is-behind-data- darbar-bombing-in.html

  4. tim says:

    @ omer it is perfectly right to show this horror here cause then u can see smell the stink of rotting salafi and wahabee beasts like p4kistan.

  5. Omer says:

    I don’t know, if any one else has pointed out and neither am sure about policy of Pakistaniat, but, I was wondering if it is good to post such violent media (pictures) here?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*