Sindh govt to bear medical expenses for injured after car rams into tent outside Imambargah in Karachi

The Sindh government has announced that it will bear the medical expenses for those severely injured after a car crashed into a tent of mourners outside an imambargah in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA).

A teenage girl died, while more than a dozen people were injured after a fast-moving vehicle crashed into a Muharram majlis at Masjid-o-Imambargah Baqiatullah on Sunday night.

According to a post on the social media platform X by the Sindh Information Department on Tuesday, the health department has written separate letters to Aga Khan Hospital and South City Hospital.

The letters informed the hospitals that the medical expenses of the “severely injured” would be borne by the government. The two hospitals were directed to submit the bills/vouchers to the government after treating the patients.

According to the letter, the patients under treatment at Aga Khan hospital included Shabana Bibi, Mehnaz Bibi, Zunaira Fatima, Kousar Parveen, Bibi Irshad, Bibi Mumtaz, Iman Fatima and Fatima Maheen.

Meanwhile, the patients at South City Hospital were identified as Shabana Batool and Amna Batool.

The post also quoted the provincial health minister, Dr Azra Pechuho, as saying that all injured women, children and other affectees of the Imambargah incident would be provided proper medical treatment.

It further said that the provincial health department had issued directions to provide quality treatment to the patients without delay.

“Every possible medical facility will be provided to protect the lives of people,” Dr Azra was quoted as saying.

On Sunday evening, at around 9:30pm, a Suzuki pickup had rammed through the security barriers outside the imambargah in Phase VI, entered the congregation area and crashed into a majlis, wounding several attendees.

Initially, the police claimed that the incident took place after the vehicle went out of the driver’s control due to brake failure. South DIG Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that the case had been transferred to the Counter-Terrorism Department for investigation.

On Monday, police registered a terrorism case against the driver of the van behind the crash. Three of the driver’s companions were also named in the first information report (FIR) registered on the complaint of the Imambargah’s security head.

The FIR filed by the Imambargah’s security head alleged the driver of the vehicle had deliberately broken through the barriers and rammed into the tent under a “planned scheme and criminal conspiracy”.

He claimed that the vehicle was driven at a reckless speed with malicious intent, and that crashing directly into the seated mourners — including men, women and children — was a “planned and deliberate attempt” to cause harm.

“The act was not accidental but a deliberate rehearsal of a larger terrorist action, as constant threats have been emanating from banned outfits and sectarian organisations,” the FIR claimed.

The FIR also referred to a video of the incident circulating on social media, which it claimed showed that the incident was “intentional“ in targeting the religious gathering.