ISLAMABAD— Police in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Monday said an initial probe has suggested that the Islamic State (IS) terror group was behind the alleged suicide blast at a Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) workers’ convention in Bajaur, which claimed 46 lives.
More than 100 people were also injured when a suicide bomber set off explosives at the rally on Sunday in the former tribal area, which borders Afghanistan, reports Geo News.
Emergency was declared in the hospitals of Bajaur and adjoining areas where most of the injured were taken, said District Police Officer (DPO) Nazir Khan.
The critically injured were transported from Bajaur to hospitals in Peshawar by military helicopters.
“We are still investigating and gathering information on the Bajaur blast. The initial probe shows that banned outfit Daesh was involved,” the law enforcers said.
The police added they were gathering details about the suicide bomber, while the bomb disposal squad team was collecting evidence from the site, Geo News reported.
DPO Khan said three suspected people had been taken into custody.
Pakistan has seen a resurgence of attacks by extremists since last year when a ceasefire between the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamabad broke down.
A mosque bombing in Peshawar killed over 100 people earlier this year, Geo News reported.
A report submitted to the UN Security Council recently mentioned that the TTP might be seeking a merger with Al Qaeda to create an umbrella organisation that shelters all militant groups operating in South Asia.
Pakistan has long blamed Afghanistan for not living up to its commitment to ensuring that its soil is not used for terrorism in Islamabad, but cross-border militancy continues, Geo News reported.
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman demanded that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and KP Caretaker Chief Minister Azam Khan investigate the incident.
The targeted party is a major ally of the coalition government, which is preparing for national elections to be held in November, Geo News reported.
Sharif condemned the blast, calling it an attack on the democratic process of Pakistan and vowed vowed that those responsible would be punished.
The top brass of the Pakistan Army has recently said that sanctuaries and liberty of action available to terrorists of proscribed TTP and other groups of that ilk in Afghanistan is one of the major reasons impacting the security of Pakistan.
Death toll numbers 44
The death toll due to an alleged suicide blast at a Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) workers’ convention in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province has increased to 44, officials said.
The incident took place on Sunday when more than 400 JUI-F members and supporters had gathered under a tent in Bajaur district’s Khar town, near the border with Afghanistan, reports Dawn news.
Addressing the media late Sunday night, KP Inspector General of Police Akhtar Hayat Khan said 10 kg of explosives were used in the blast.
He said ball bearings and other explosive materials had been collected from the site.
“Investigation is underway and culprits will soon be arrested,” Dawn news quoted the provincial police chief as saying.
Meanwhile, KP caretaker Information Minister Feroze Shah said hospitals across Bajaur and neighbouring areas had been put on high alert.
“We are trying to move critical patients to Peshawar and other hospitals through helicopters,” he told Geo News.
According to Bajaur District Health Officer Faisal Kamal, more than 150 injured people had been brought to the Bajaur District Headquarters Hospital.
“Over 35 people have been referred to the Timargarh hospital while 15 critically injured persons have been sent to Peshawar via a Pakistan Army helicopter,” he added.
No group or individial has claimed responsibility for the blast so far.
A regional leader of the JUI-F, Maulana Ziaullah, was also killed in the blast, local officials told the BBC.
JUI-F is a major religious political party and forms part of the government coalition in Pakistan’s parliament.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the blast and said terrorists targeted those who advocated the cause of Islam, the Holy Quran and Pakistan.
“Terrorists are enemies of Pakistan and they will be eliminated,” he said in a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office, adding that elements involved in the incident would be meted out strict punishment.
He also sought a report of the incident from Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
