Pakistan: 40 killed, over 200 injured in blast during political rally in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

At least 40 people were killed and nearly 200 were wounded after a blast was reported at a Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) convention in the Khar tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Bajaur district on Sunday, local media reported.

The blast reportedly took place inside the convention. The law enforcement agencies have cordoned off the area, Geo News reported. The television footage showed ambulances arriving at the scene.

Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Faizi told Dawn that 5 ambulances had reached the site. He added that around 50 wounded people have been shifted to the hospital so far. He feared that the tally of injured can increase.

“As per the reports I have received, 10-12 workers have been martyred and over a dozen injured,” he said. Speaking on Geo News, JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah said that he was also supposed to attend the convention but could not do so because of some personal commitments.

“I strongly condemn the blast and want to give a message to the people behind it that this is not jihad but terrorism,” said the JUI-F leader, adding that the incident was an attack on humanity and Bajaur, Dawn reported. 

Notably, JUI-F has dropped hints about the potential dissolution of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), which currently represents a coalition of various political parties in Pakistan, reported Samaa. More details are awaited.

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