44 killed, 200 injured in blast in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan

In a major blast in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, at least 44 people were killed and over 200 injured at a Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) workers’ convention on Sunday. The blast took place at a gathering of nearly 400 JUI-F workers in the town of Khar, Bajaur, that borders Afghanistan.

Pakistani newspaper Dawn reports that footage of the explosion site showed ambulances taking the injured to hospitals. Later the police cordoned off the area. Provincial caretaker Information Minister Firoz Shah said hospitals across Bajaur and neighbouring areas had been put on high alert.

No terror group has accepted responsibility for the attack as yet, however, security agencies believe the explosion was caused by a suicide bomber.

Reportedly, Maulana Ziaullah Jan, JUI-F emir in Khar tehsil, was also killed in the blast.

Bajaur District Health Officer Dr Faisal Kamal said more than 150 injured people had been brought to the Bajaur District Headquarters Hospital. The Pakistani Army flew 15 critically injured people to Peshawar through a helicopter.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke with JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Communications Minister Maulana Asad Mahmood. He also sought a report of the incident from Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Sharif said: “Terrorists are enemies of Pakistan and they will be eliminated”. Later in a tweet, Shehbaz said: “Those responsible will be identified and punished. The Pakistani nation, law enforcement agencies and our protectors will never allow such cowardly tactics of the enemy to succeed. The entire nation, including me, is an equal participant in the grief of the families of those who were martyred in the incident”.

Pakistan has been in the grip of violence since late 2021, soon after the Taliban captured power in Kabul after the withdrawal of American and NATO forces. Islamabad has alleged that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has been causing the violence with tacit support of the Taliban administration. The government in Kabul has, however, denied its involvement in the violence in Pakistan.