35 k i l l e d, 200 injured in Pakistan political rally blast

At least 35 people were killed and over 200 were injured in an explosion in Pakistan during a rally organised by an Islamist party. The explosion took place in north-west Bajaur district, where Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) was holding a meeting, reports Dawn.

Confirming the casualties, state caretaker Information Minister Firoz Shah Jamal 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 said while speaking to Geo News.

"Our utmost priority right now is to provide medical treatment to the injured. The blast site has been cordoned off. Pakistan Army and other institutions are assisting us in the operation," Jamal added.

Meanwhile, Bajaur District Emergency Officer Saad Khan told Dawn.com that Maulana Ziaullah Jan, JUI-F amir in Khar tehsil, also passed away in the blast.

Separately, Bajaur District Health Officer Faisal Kamal said more than 150 injured people had been brought to the Bajaur District Headquarters Hospital while those in critical condition were being moved to the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar via an army helicopter. Dawn.com's correspondent, who was present at the blast site, said a local journalist was among those injured.

Television footage showed panic-stricken people gathering at the site following the blast as ambulances arrived to move the injured to hospitals. Afterwards, a large police contingent cordoned off the area.

Rahim Shah, a witness, told Dawn.com that more than 500 people were attending the convention when the blast occurred. "We were listening to a bayan when a powerful explosion knocked me unconscious," he said.

Shah narrated that when he regained consciousness, there was blood everywhere. "People were screaming and even shots were fired," he added. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, in a statement issued by the party's media cell, expressed grief over the incident. He sought an inquiry into the attack from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the KP government.

"May Allah raise the ranks of martyrs," Rehman said and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. He also appealed to JUI-F workers to immediately reach hospitals and provide blood donations.

Source : Dawn

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