A powerful bomb has killed at least 40 people in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, local authorities say.
The explosion ripped through a rally by supporters of a hard-line cleric and political leader in the country’s northwestern Bajur district that borders Afghanistan.
It was a gathering of the conservative Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) party, known for its links to hardline political Islam.
Government administrator Mohibullah Khan Yousufzai said the death toll rose to 40 and the number of wounded was well over 200.
Head Quarters, rescue workers inspect the site after a bomb explosion in the Bajur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
(AP)
It is believed that more than 200 people have been injured
(EPA)
He said the seriously wounded people were being airlifted to the provincial capital, Peshawar, for better medical care.
A rescue operation is ongoing to assist the injured but the police have not confirmed the cause of the blast.
But according to Al Jazeera, the attack was “confirmed as a suicide bombing” and may have been carried out by the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group.
Adam Khan, 45, was hit by splinters in his leg and both hands. He said it was around 4 pm when the explosion knocked him to the ground.
A handout photo made available by the Rescue 1122 emergency services shows an injured person being shifted to hospital
(EPA)
It comes as Pakistan is preparing for national elections this November
(EPA)
He said: “There was all dust and smoke around and I was under the some injured people from where I hardly (could stand) up but only to see chaos and some scattered limbs.”
Images on local TV show ambulances ferrying injured people to hospitals.
Some badly injured people have been waiting in the hallways of health clinics as local services struggle to deal with the high number of casualties, the BBC reported.
Authorities have declared a health emergency at the direct hospital.
Mohammad Wali said he was listening to a speaker address the crowd when the huge explosion temporarily deafened him.He added: “I was near the water dispenser to fetch a glass of water when the bomb exploded throwing me away to the ground.
The seriously injured were airlifted to hospital
(EPA)
“We came to the meeting with enthusiasm but ended up at the hospital seeing crying wounded people and sobbing relatives taking bodies of their loved ones.”
Senior police officer Nazir Khan said the workers’ convention of Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s Jamiat Ulema Islam party was taking place on the outskirts of Khar when the explosion took place.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but the Islamic State group operates across the border in Afghanistan.
Maulana Ziaullah, the local chief of Rehman’s party, was among the dead.
Abdur Rasheed and former lawmaker Maulana Jamaluddin was also on the stage but escaped unhurt. Party officials said Rehman was not in the rally.
More than 100 people have also been injured in the blast
(AP)
Inspector general of police for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province Akhtar Hayat Gandapur said the explosion took place before the senior party leader’s arrival.
Rehman is considered to be a pro-Taliban cleric and his political party is part of the coalition government in Islamabad.
The leader has also demanded prime minister Shehbaz Sharif to investigate the incident.
He said: “Many of our fellows lost 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.”
An injured man is shifted to a hospital following a blast targeting a gathering of Islamic political party Jamiat Ulma-e-Islam
(EPA)
According to reports, the explosion may have been due to a suicide attack
(EPA)
Prime Minister Shabaz Sharif, President Arif Alvi and other leaders condemned the attack and asked officials to provide all possible assistance to the wounded and the bereaved families.
Meetings are being organised across the country to mobilise supporters for the coming elections.
Pakistan has seen a resurgence of attacks by Islamist militants since last year when a ceasefire between the TTP and Islamabad broke down.
The TTP pledges allegiance to, but is not directly a part of, Afghanistan’s Taliban.
Bajur has been a safe haven for Islamic militants until recent years when Pakistani military carried out massive operations to eliminate militancy from the tribal region.
Militants still strike, attacking security forces and civilians.