A ten-year-old girl died on Monday from injuries sustained when a vehicle crashed into a Muharram procession outside the Phase 6 Imambargah in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) on Sunday night.
The incident occurred at approximately 9:30 PM while attendees sat inside a tent for a majlis.
The victim was undergoing treatment at a private hospital before she succumbed to her wounds. One injured man remains in critical condition at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), while five others were discharged after receiving treatment for minor injuries.
Karachi Police confirmed that the driver of the Suzuki pick-up, identified as Mohammed Zahid, was intoxicated at the time of the crash. Zahid and three companions Bahadur Saeed, Momin Khan, and Arsalan alias Nadan had traveled to the Seaview area for entertainment.
Police documentation indicates that two of the occupants reside in the Kati Pahari area, while the third lives in Banaras, Orangi Town. South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Raza stated that initial investigations show two of the arrested individuals have prior criminal records and a history of substance abuse.
DIG Raza stated that the driver lost control of the vehicle due to excessive speed. The vehicle breached security barriers placed 200 metres away from the venue to protect the gathering, entered the congregation space, and struck the tent containing the mourners.
The driver and his companions sustained injuries during the crash and are under medical supervision in police custody. Police arrested another individual traveling in the vehicle on Monday.
Authorities registered a terrorism case against the driver and his three companions based on a complaint filed by the security head of the imambargah. The FIR [First Information Report] includes charges under the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). The complainant alleged that the driver purposefully breached the barriers under a “planned scheme and criminal conspiracy” to execute “sectarian terrorism”.
The FIR further claimed that the act was a “deliberate rehearsal of a larger terrorist action” due to existing threats from banned sectarian organisations.
The complainant also cited social media video footage to argue that the targeting of the religious gathering was intentional, accusing the suspects of maintaining ties with banned outfits.
DIG Raza confirmed that the case has been transferred to the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), which is collecting CCTV footage and evidence from the scene.
