KARACHI: Seven persons were killed and fifteen others including a senior judge of Sindh High Court and three policemen injured in a blast at Burns Road area in the vicinity of Sindh secretariat, the provincial government headquarters on Wednesday morning.

According to police officials, the bomb was planted in a motorbike and it was detonated by remote control.

The blast took place near the intersection of Urdu Bazaar Road and Court Road leading to Sindh High Court. The police officials opined that terrorists targeted the vehicle of senior Judge of Sindh High Court Justice Maqbool Baqar with a remote controlled bomb.

A car, police van and a bike were destroyed in explosion. The blast also caused damage to nearby buildings.

The injured people have been shifted to Civil Hospital for treatment.

Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon confirmed death of seven. Talking to reporters, he said one officer from the Rangers, five policemen and driver of the SHC justice were among the dead.

Maqbool Baqar was being treated at a private hospital, and his condition was stable, said Memon.

“We had provided maximum security to Maqbool Baqar, and he was wounded in today's bomb attack at his convoy,'' said Memon.

Baqar was on his way to court when the bomb exploded, said senior police official. The bomb, which was attached to a motorcycle, was so powerful that it damaged some nearby shops.

Bomb disposal squad told that approximately eight kilograms of explosives were used in the blast.

Baqar has a reputation for honesty and has also served as a judge in special anti-terrorism courts set up in Pakistan to hand down quick judgements in terror cases.

AP adds: Ahsanullah Ahsan, the spokesman for Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility, saying they detonated the bomb by remote control.

“We attacked the judge in Karachi as he was taking decisions against Shariah and he was harmful for mujahideen,'' he told.