At Least 39 Killed After Blast at Political Gathering in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – News18

At least 39 people were killed and 123 others were injured in a blast at the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) workers’ convention in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday. At least 17 people are in critical condition.

The blast targeted the radical Islamic party when more than 400 members and supporters had gathered in the Khar tensil of the Bajaur district, near the border of Afghanistan.

“I can confirm that in the hospital we have 39 dead bodies, with 123 wounded that includes 17 patients in a serious condition,” Riaz Anwar, the health minister for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, told AFP.

Till now, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Pakistan Army and other forces are helping with the operation and providing medical treatment to those injured.

The injured people have been shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment and the law enforcement agencies have cordoned off the area.

The hospitals across Bajaur and neighboring areas have been put on high alert, KP caretaker Information Minister Firoz Shah Jamal told Dawn. 

Jamal added that the critical patients are being moved to Peshawar and other hospitals via helicopters.

Till now, at least five ambulances have reached the site, according to Dawn.

JUI-F Reacts, Seeks Inquiry

Expressing Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman expressed deep sorrow and regret over the blast and prayed for recovery of the injured party workers.

Rehman asked the Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and KPK’s government to start an inquiry into the incident and asked for the best treatment of the injured.