Khyber: A suicide bomber killed at least 44 people and injured over 200 others in a blast at a political rally in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday, officials said.
The blast occurred at a meeting of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) party in the town of Khar, near the Afghan border. The party is a government coalition partner led by an influential firebrand cleric, Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
The bomber detonated his explosives in close proximity to the stage where Rehman was speaking, according to Riaz Anwar, the health minister for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The blast also injured several journalists who were covering the event. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but it is believed to have been carried out by militants opposed to the JUI-F. The armed group has been active in Afghanistan after President Ghani’s downfall. However, the attack is a major security breach in a region that has been plagued by violence for years.
It comes just days after the Pakistani government announced that it would be holding early elections in October or November. The elections are seen as a major test for the country’s fragile democracy. The blast has also raised concerns about the safety of political leaders and activists ahead of the polls.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice. “This is a cowardly act of terrorism,” he said in a statement. “We will not allow these terrorists to disrupt our democratic process.”
The attack has also been condemned by the United States and other countries. The US State Department said that it “strongly condemns” the attack and offered its condolences to the victims and their families.
The blast is a reminder of the challenges facing Pakistan as it prepares for elections. The country is still struggling to contain the threat of terrorism, and the upcoming polls are likely to be a target for militants.