Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Police on Monday said an initial probe into the suicide attack on a Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl)’s workers’ convention in Bajaur has indicated the involvement of the banned Daesh terrorist organization, adding investigations are ongoing. No group has, as yet, formally claimed responsibility for the bombing.
On Sunday, a suicide bomber detonated himself at a JUIF rally in the Khar tehsil of Bajaur, killing at least 46 people and injuring more than 150 others. Local media reported hundreds of JUIF workers attended the rally, adding several party leaders were present when the blast occurred. According to eyewitnesses, the bomber detonated explosives when a party leader was addressing the convention around 4 p.m.
Following the bombing, an emergency was declared in local hospitals, with critically injured people transported to hospitals in Peshawar via military helicopters.
“We are still investigating and gathering information on the Bajaur blast,” police said on Monday. “The Initial probe shows that banned outfit Daesh was involved,” they said, adding that the Bomb Disposal Squad was still collecting evidence from the site. They also said that, thus far, three suspects had been taken into custody in connection with the probe.
Condemnations
Condemning the attack, JUIF chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman demanded Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Caretaker Chief Minister Azam Khan ensure an impartial probe. Rehman, the president of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) coalition currently in government, prayed for Allah to raise the ranks of martyrs and for speedy recovery of the injured.
In a statement, the prime minister condemned the blast, calling it an attack on the democratic process of Pakistan. He vowed that those responsible would be punished. KP Governor Ghulam Ali and the caretaker chief minister also issued separate statements condemning the blast. Khan has directed police to submit a report pertaining to the blast.
Awami National Party’s provincial president, Aimal Wali, said the militants’ facilitators were responsible and said that those calling the militants “fighters” were directly to blame for the deteriorating security situation. “The only solution to counter militancy is to implement the National Action Plan. ANP stands with the affected families and the JUIF,” he added.
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, also the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, strongly condemned the bombing, and expressed his grief and sorrow over the incident. Demanding the federal and KP governments bring the culprits to book, he stressed the need to eliminate terrorism planners.
Condemnations were also issued by Iran and the U.S., with both expressing sympathies with the families of the victims. “We reiterate our commitment to supporting Pakistan’s efforts in combating terrorism and ensuring the safety and security of its citizens,” read a statement issued by the U.S. embassy in Islamabad.
There has been a marked resurgence of terrorism across Pakistan since the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended a ceasefire it had inked with Islamabad, with bombings targeting law enforcers reported from several major cities, including Peshawar, Karachi and Quetta. Authorities in Pakistan have pointed to the interim government in Afghanistan as “failing” to fulfill its commitment to ensure Afghan soil is not used for terrorism against any other country. In a recent statement, the Army lamented the havens and freedom of movement available to militant groups in Afghanistan, stressing this was a major reason for the prevailing security situation in Pakistan.
Lawmakers have started to warn that it would be difficult for political parties to participate in electoral campaigns ahead of general elections due this year if they are threatened by militancy whenever they approach the masses.