PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police said on Monday that preliminary investigations have revealed that terrorist organization Daesh is behind the suicide attack on Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) workers’ convention in Bajaur.
At least 46 people were killed and more than 100 injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up during a rally in a former tribal region bordering Afghanistan on Sunday.
District Police Officer (DPO) Nazir Khan said that emergency was imposed in hospitals in Bajaur and adjoining areas where most of the injured were taken. The seriously injured were transferred from Bajaur to hospitals in Peshawar by military helicopters.
Law enforcement agencies said, “We are still investigating and gathering information regarding the Bajaur blast. Preliminary investigations indicate that the banned organization Daesh was involved.”
Police added that they are gathering details about the suicide bomber while a bomb disposal squad team is collecting evidence from the crime scene. “CTD officials are busy gathering other evidence.”
DPO Khan said that three suspects have been detained.
Pakistan has seen a resurgence in militant attacks since the ceasefire between the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamabad broke down last year. Earlier this year, a bomb blast at a mosque in Peshawar killed more than 100 people.
A recent report submitted to the UN Security Council stated that the TTP is seeking to merge with Al-Qaeda to create an umbrella organization that would shelter all militant groups operating in South Asia. .
Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan of not living up to its commitment to ensure its territory is not used for terrorism in Islamabad, but cross-border militancy continues.
JUI(F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has demanded an inquiry into the incident from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and caretaker KPK Chief Minister Azam Khan.
The targeted party is a key ally of Prime Minister Shehbaz’s coalition government, which is preparing for national elections in November.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the blast and called it an attack on the democratic process of Pakistan. He vowed that those responsible will be punished.
Pakistan’s top military officials have recently said that safe havens and freedom of action for terrorists belonging to the outlawed TTP and its affiliates in Afghanistan is a major factor affecting Pakistan’s security.
According to a statistical report released by independent think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), terrorist activities in the country increased by 79% during the first half of 2023.
