12-kg explosives used in blast. Rescue workers fear mumber of casualties may rise
Peshawar: Forty-four people were killed and 100 injured by a suicide bomber with 12 kg of explosives on Sunday, July 30, at a hardline Islamic party rally in a restive tribal district of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, a PTI report. In the Tribune, Chandigarh, says.
The explosion took place at the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) workers’ convention in Khar, the capital of Bajaur tribal district. Over 500 people were attending the convention when the blast occurred.
Saad Khan, the district emergency officer in the Bajaur region, said that Maulana Ziaullah Jan, JUI-F’s local leader, were also killed in the blast, one of the worst in recent years.
Television footage showed panic-stricken people gathering at the site following the blast as ambulances arrived to move the injured to hospitals.
DIG police Malakand Range Nasir Mehmud Satti said the initial investigation revealed it was a suicide blast. However, evidence is being collected to determine the nature of the blast. The area was sealed and a search operation has been initiated, he said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the blast at the JUI-F convention. He said terrorists targeted those who advocated the cause of Islam, the Holy Quran and Pakistan.
“Terrorists are enemies of Pakistan and they will be eliminated,” he said in a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office.
He also sought a report of the incident from Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.The Interior Minister has vowed to bring the perpetrators of the attack to justice.
“The cowardly acts of terrorists cannot dampen our spirits,” he posted on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter.
The JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman demanded Prime Minister Sharif and the province’s caretaker Chief Minister Azam Khan to investigate the incident.
He also urged the party workers to reach the hospital and donate blood.
“JUI workers should remain peaceful and federal and provincial governments should provide the best treatment to the injured,” said Fazl.
Caretaker Information minister of the province Jamal Feroze Shah said an emergency was declared in hospitals of Peshawar and Dir district.
The US extended its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed and injured in the suicide blast and vowed its support for Pakistan’s efforts in combating terrorism.
“Such acts of terror have no place in a peaceful and democratic society. We stand in solidarity with the people of Pakistan during this difficult time,” the US embassy in Islamabad said in a statement.
“We reiterate our commitment to supporting Pakistan’s efforts in combating terrorism and ensuring the safety and security of its citizens,” it added.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks following the Afghan Taliban’s return to power in August 2021 and called upon the interim rulers to take decisive actions against terrorists including the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) responsible for cross-border attacks.
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