Karachi University evacuated following bomb scare

Karachi: Several students and teachers of a leading Pakistani university were on Wednesday evacuated after authorities received reports of three live bombs on the campus but the scare later turned out to be a hoax, media reported. Police received reports of three bombs on the campus of Karachi University after which the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) was called in to secure the university, Dawn news reported. [caption id=“attachment_2603044” align=“alignleft” width=“1280”]  Representative image. AP[/caption] Students and faculty panicked during evacuation as the news spread, it said. Superintendent of Police Gulshan Saad Ahmad said they were alerted about a bomb targeting a book fair at the university. After checking the varsity, the BDS cleared the facility. Areas surrounding the building have also being checked for bombs, he said, adding that those spreading misinformation will be caught. Educational institutions across Pakistan have been on high alert after the Taliban attack on Bacha Khan University in Charsadda on 20 January in which at least 20 people, including students, were killed. Pakistani Taliban militants have threatened more assaults on schools and universities since the attack, fueling a sense of insecurity in the country. Currently more than 27,000 students are enrolled with the the Karachi University while the number of teaching and non-teaching staff is over 4,000. PTI