13 people were killed and at least 35 were injured on February 11, 2014 in a grenade attack on Shama Cinema, situated near the busy Bacha Khan Square in Peshawar, the capital city of Khyber-Pakhtunkhuwa province. The cinema was known for sometimes showing pornographic films in one of its auditoriums. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. The blast at the cinema came 11 days after a similar attack at Picture House Cinema, situated in the Kabuli Bazaar area of Peshawar.

Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ejaz Ahmed said that three grenades were thrown in the cinema hall during a show. The first hand grenade was detonated near the the front, the second in the back of the cinema, and the third blast followed. Up to 80 people were present in the cinema at the time of the explosions, according to the police officer.

The onwers of Shama Cinema had been receiving threats and had informed the police accordingly. However, the police did not take any steps besides directing the cinema owners to install CCTV cameras.

Condemning the incident, political leaders termed it a step to derail peace talks between the Government and representatives of the Taliban. Pakistani Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid condemned the incident and denied any involvement of Tehrik-e-Taliban.

Five individuals killed in attack on Peshawar cinema

Two hand grenades were lobbed inside the Picture House cinema during the screening of a Pashto film Zidi Pakhtun (stubborn Pakhtun) on February 2, in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan which borders Aghanistan. PPF reported on February 3 that the Pakistani Taliban group Jundallah had claimed responsibility for the attack, in retaliation for the screening of the film which was considered “anti-Shariah”.

According to the police report, the grenades were hurled by a person seated near the back of the theatre.

One of the hand-grenades landed in the middle of the cinema and the other on the head of a man in the audience. Five people were killed and more than 30 were injured.

Police said that cinema houses in the city were already under threat and they had warned the cinema house owners of the attacks and asked them to make proper security arrangements. However, the cinema administration was found to be careless and neglectful.

IFEX

PESHAWAR: Hopes for a respite from terror attacks raised by peace talks between government and Taliban negotiators were dashed yet again when a triple grenade attack on a cinema left 13 people dead and 23 injured here on Tuesday.

According to Reuters news agency, Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid denied his group’s involvement and there was no immediate claim of responsibility from any other militant group.

According to a police official, the grenades were hurled by someone inside the Shama Cinema on Pajagi Road. The victims were watching a Pashto movie, Yarana.

It was the second such attack on a cinema hall in 10 days. On Feb 2, five people were killed and 30 injured when grenades exploded in the Picture House, near the Khan Raziq police station.

Peshawar police chief Ijaz Khan said his department had already informed administrations of cinema halls about threats they faced and advised them to strengthen their security.

“Chinese-made hand-grenades were used in the attack,” he said.

“The first explosion took place about 30 minutes after the film began,” injured Wazir Mohammad said in the Lady Reading Hospital. Everyone ran to the exit but there was another explosion when he reached near the gate and was hit by pellets on his legs.

An eyewitness said he saw pools of blood on the floor and a number of seats destroyed.

Afghan refugee Gulbahar Khan told Dawn that he and his friend were watching the film and they couldn’t see who hurled the grenades because of darkness in the hall. “I received wounds on my back,” he said.

The manager and other staff of the cinema fled after the explosions, a policeman said when asked about security measures taken in the wake of threats.

The police official said two grenades had been lobbed towards the rear of the hall and the third one towards the exit.

An employee standing outside the Picture House which was attacked on Feb 2 said the number of film viewers since the attack had decreased drastically from about 150 in the two daytime shows to 40 and to only 10 to 12 in the night shows.

DAWN