KARACHI: Five schoolboys detained on Monday for carrying out a ‘cracker attack’ at their school in North Nazimabad were released later in the evening, police said.

They added that the students of the private school had not paid the school fee and intended to put pressure on its administration to allow them to sit exams.

The cracker blast, which left one student Osama injured, took place at Campus-1 of Educators in North Nazimabad Block-A on Friday morning shortly before ‘cracker ball’ explosions near the APWA Govt College in Karimabad and at the Mobina Town police station in Gulshan-i-Iqbal.

Know more: Cracker blasts at police station, school, college sow fear

Karachi-West DIG Feroze Shah told Dawn that the blast at the private school was not an act of terror. Police investigators examined footage recorded by CCTV cameras in the area where the school was situated. They also recorded statements of some witnesses before arriving at the conclusion that the cracker had not been thrown into the school by anyone from outside rather it was the job of some insiders, he said.

As Osama had sustained minor injuries on his hand, he was interrogated by the police investigators. During the interrogation, he confessed to his involvement in the incident. Acting on the information he provided, the police then also detained four other students of the school namely Zarar, brother of Osama, Mohsin Ali, Amsal and Umer Habib.

About the motive for the attack, DIG Shah said the students had not paid the fee to the private school and the administration due to this reason was allegedly not ready to allow them to take their exams.

Fire cracker bought from local market

According to the police, the held students also wanted that the school administration to “facilitate cheating” during the examination. In order to put the pressure on the administration for that purpose, the students bought a cracker from a local Qadri market in North Nazimabad at the cost of Rs60.

“This type of cracker is often used at wedding ceremonies,” said the senior officer.

Osama was holding the cracker when it exploded, injuring him. In the meantime, the held students raised a hue and cry that someone from ‘outside’ had thrown the ‘grenade’ into the school, added the officer.

The police officer said their parents later approached the police and said they were ‘ashamed’ of their act. They claimed that they had given money to their children to pay the school fee, but the students allegedly spent it for some other purpose.

DIG Shah said the held students also ‘repented’ their action.

“Since the students have not attained the age of maturity, we are seeking legal opinion as to how to pursue the case,” he said, adding that the police did not want their future be destroyed. Hours later all the five students were released by the police. The DIG said: “They have exploded a firecracker not an explosive material.” He added that the case would be disposed of in accordance with relevant laws.