Pakistan: 39 killed, 120+ injured in bomb-blast at political meeting
At least 39 people were killed and over 120 others injured in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after a bomb explosion took place during a political party gathering on Sunday, reported AFP. The meeting was held by the Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Bajaur district. The nature of the attack is yet to be ascertained, and no organization has claimed responsibility so far.
Blast targeted JUI-F workers' convention
39 dead, 123 wounded; 17 people critical: Minister
Speaking to AFP, Riaz Anwar, the provincial health minister for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, stated, "I can confirm that in the hospital we have 39 dead bodies, with 123 wounded that includes 17 patients in a serious condition." Security forces have cordoned off the blast site, while television footage and videos on social media showed ambulances transporting the wounded to hospitals.
Prominent party leader among deceased: District officer
Among those who were killed in the bomb explosion is Maulana Ziaullah Jan, a popular JUI-F leader from Khar, Bajaur District Emergency Officer Saad Khan told the Pakistani news outlet Dawn. Reportedly, the JUI-F is a radical Islamic political party. A workers' convention of the party was underway at the Khar town, which borders Afghanistan, ahead of the general election later this year.
Visuals from blast scene shared on Twitter
Senior leader was to address convention: Top cop
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police, Akhtar Hayat Gandapur, told AFP, "A senior leader from the party was due to address the ceremony, but before his arrival, a bomb explosion took place." Meanwhile, JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah told Geo News he was supposed to attend the convention but skipped it due to some personal commitments. He also confirmed some deaths of the party workers.
Our workers were targeted before too: JUI-F leader
Terming the incident "an attack on humanity," Hamdullah told Geo News, "I strongly condemn the blast and want to give a message to the people behind it...this is not jihad but terrorism." He claimed the JUI-F was targeted in the past, too, demanding an investigation. "This has happened before... We raised our voice over this in parliament, but no action was taken," he alleged.
