44 killed in suicide bombing in Pakistan
More than 200 were wounded in a blast staged by a suicide bomber
The death toll from the suicide bombing at a party rally of the Islamic Clerics party the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) workers’ convention in Bajaur’s Khar, in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwestern Pakistan has risen to 44, as per the province’s health minister, Riaz Anwar.
“It was an attack by a suicide bomber,” the minister said, “The terrorist blew himself up near the stage.”
According to Abdul Jalil Khan, a spokesman for the JUI-F in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the explosion happened at about 4 pm, as Maulana Laeeq was giving a speech to the convention.
Senator Abdul Rasheed and JUI-F MNA Maulana Jamaluddin were reportedly present at the convention, according to the province spokesperson. He confirmed that Tehsil Khar Amir Maulana Ziaullah of the JUI-F is among the deceased.
The Geo News television channel reported earlier that 40 people had been killed and more than 200 had been wounded in the terror attack.
The blast occurred at around 4:00 p.m. local time, during the rally of a crowd of around 400 supporters.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered to launch an investigation and identify those responsible.
One of the prominent JUI-F leader killed in the blast included the local chairman, Maulana Ziaullah. According to Feroze Jamal Shah Kakakhel, the interim minister of information, more than 250 persons were injured in the explosion that occurred during a JUI-F leader’s speech.
The injured are also being transported to Timergara and Peshawar, according to the district emergency officer. Samiullah, a cameraman for Geo News, is one of the injured and has been taken to the Lower Dir district headquarter hospital since he is reportedly in severe condition.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Akhtar Hayat Khan of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has acknowledged that the first investigation indicated that the attack was a suicide bombing. He added that the bomb site is being used by the investigating teams to gather evidence.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has issued instructions to look into the incident and find individuals at fault, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Major General Noor Wali Khan, IG Frontier Corps (FC), has arrived in Bajaur to monitor the situation. A rescue effort is currently being carried out by the security forces and other law enforcement agencies, and CMH Peshawar has been placed on notice.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the leader of the JUI-F, urged Shehbaz Sharif and Azam Khan, the interim chief minister of KP, to order an investigation into the incident.
Fazl prayed for the well-being of the injured and the higher ranks of the deceased while denouncing the explosion. Additionally, he exhorted the party members to visit the hospital and give blood.
“JUI workers should remain peaceful and federal and provincial governments should provide the best treatment to the injured,” said Fazl, Geo News reported.
Punjab Caretaker CM Mohsin Naqvi has denounced the incident, saying that the country is united against terrorism and will end its menace through the strength of unity.
He said, “Those who play with the lives of innocent people do not deserve to be called human beings.”
Jamaat-e-Islami leader Ameer Sirajul Haq also condemned the blast saying that it was targeted at spreading chaos in the country. He also said that the terrorist elements and their facilitators will not be able to succeed in their nefarious ambitions. Haq also requested the government to conduct an immediate probe into the blast.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the federal and provincial governments should bring the facilitators of the terrorists to justice. Expressing his sympathies and condolences to the families of the dead, Bilawal said that the planners of terrorism need to be eliminated.
