An explosion occurred outside the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) office in Karachi, as per police sources reported by ARY News.
According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) South Sajid Sadozai, no casualties were reported in the incident. The bomb disposal squad was called to the scene to assess the intensity and nature of the blast.
SSP Sajid Sadozai said, "The explosive material was placed in a shopping bag along the wall of the ECP office in Karachi's red zone area. Ball bearings were not found in the explosive material."
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) swiftly took notice of the blast and has requested reports from Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) South and District Monitoring Officer. The ECP directed both officials to submit an immediate report.
The Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) issued a report indicating that a 'homemade' bomb, using approximately 400 grams of explosives, caused the explosion. The report mentioned about the discovery of a time device and a 12-volt battery at the blast site.
According to the BDS report, "The detonator of the blast and about 400 grams of explosives were blown away with the explosion." It further noted that the homemade bomb was contained in a soft container. The BDS confirmed no casualties in the blast.
The blast was held in Pakistan ahead of the general elections scheduled to be held on February 8 to elect the members of the 16th National Assembly.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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