- Deadly Bomb Blast at Pakistan Political Rally: 54 Killed, 200 Injured
- Extremist Cleric’s Supporters Targeted in Suicide Explosion
- Pakistan Faces Security Concerns as Elections Approach
A bomb exploded at an event hosted by supporters of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. It is part of the coalition administration of Pakistan.
An explosion at a political rally in northwest Pakistan has claimed the lives of at least 54 persons.
According to police, the explosion occurred on the fringes of Khar, the district capital of Bajour in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The suicide detonation at a rally organized by supporters of the extremist cleric and political party leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman resulted in the injury of nearly 200 individuals, including children.
Some of the severely injured were airlifted to a hospital in Peshawar, the provincial capital.
Images from the scene also showed people being loaded into ambulances and the explosion zone being cordoned off, with local hospitals declaring emergencies.
local party leader among the deceased
Maulana Ziaullah, the local leader of Mr. Rehman’s Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl party, is one of the deceased.
According to officials, Mr. Rehman himself was absent from the rally.
His Islamist party is part of the coalition government in Pakistan, and he is also the leader of the Pakistan Democratic Movement, which united opposition parties against former prime minister Imran Khan.
The group was established in September 2020 in an attempt to oust Mr. Khan, and it succeeded through a vote of no confidence last year.
The event on Sunday afternoon occurred as political parties prepare for general elections later this year.
According to Prime Minister Shabaz Sharif, the assault was “against the democratic system.”
Witnesses describe the consequences
Adam Khan, 45 years old, received splinters in his legs and forearms.
“Dust and smoke were everywhere,” he stated.
Mohammad Wali stated that the explosion occurred while he was listening to a speaker address the gathering.
“I was near the water dispenser to retrieve a glass when the bomb exploded and threw me to the ground,” he explained.
“We enthusiastically attended the meeting, only to find ourselves in a hospital surrounded by crying, injured people.”
The number of fatalities could escalate as many of the injured are in critical condition.
The authorities of Pakistan are ‘feeling threatened’
The explosion, according to Pakistani journalist Zahir Shah Sherazi, will send a “very negative message” to parties conducting campaign events in the coming weeks and months.
“They feel threatened,” he said of Pakistan’s leaders, who will run for election within 60 days of the dissolution of the country’s national assembly on August 13.
Mr. Sharif stated that he had spoken with Mr. Rehman, who has demanded an investigation into the attack.
“Those responsible will be identified and punished,” added Mr. Sharif.
Mr. Khan, who seeks re-election, stated that Pakistan “cannot afford another wave of terrorism.”
He wrote on X (Twitter): “Those in power must shift their focus from political engineering to directing state efforts and resources towards countering terrorism.”
An area notorious for terrorist assaults
Nobody promptly claimed responsibility, but the Islamic State operates in Afghanistan just across the border.
Mr. Rehman is regarded as pro-Taliban, the group that has ruled Afghanistan since the summer of 2021.
A Taliban spokesman expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and prayed for the “rapid recovery” of the wounded.
Islamic militants had a secure haven in Bajour until recent years when the Pakistani military conducted operations to eliminate the threat.
This included Pakistani Taliban members.
There are still occasional attacks against civilians and security forces.
