A horrific bombing at a political rally in northwestern Pakistan left at least 40 dead and 150 injured on Sunday, officials said.
The suspected suicide attack took place in the Bajaur district bordering Afghanistan, where members of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) were organizing at their workers convention. One witness, Adam Khan, told The Associated Press that he was knocked to the ground by the explosion around 4 p.m.
“There was dust and smoke around and I was under some injured people from where I could hardly stand up, only to see chaos and some scattered limbs,” Khan said.
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Police initially said that 10 were killed in the blast, but as more bodies came to a local hospital, the death toll rose to 40. The victims in critical condition were transferred to a medical facility in Peshawar.
“We were listening to a bayan [sermon] when a powerful explosion knocked me unconscious,” witness Rahim Shah told Dawn.com. “People were screaming and even shots were fired,” Shah continued, adding that he saw blood everywhere when he regained consciousness.
JUI-F leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman “expressed deep sorrow and regret over the blast,” urging part members donate blood to victims and demanding an “inquiry into the tragic incident” from the Prime Minister.
The party’s regional chief, Abdul Rasheed, believed the attack to be an attempt to get JUI-F out of the picture before November’s parliamentary elections.
“Many of our fellows lost their lives and many more wounded in this incident. I will ask the federal and provincial administrations to fully investigate this incident and provide due compensation and medical facilities to the affected ones,” Rasheed told the AP.
No one has claimed responsibility for the explosion, but ISIS has targeted the same political party in the past.
This is a developing story.
Read it at The Associated Press
