Daesh carried out suicide bombing on the JUI-F convention in Bajaur.
The suicide attack on the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) workers’ convention in Bajaur was allegedly carried out by the terrorist group Daesh, according to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police on Monday.
When a suicide bomber detonated explosives at the rally on Sunday in the formerly tribal region that borders Afghanistan, at least 43 people were killed and more than 130 others were injured.
The majority of the injured were taken to hospitals in Bajaur and the surrounding areas, where an emergency had been declared, according to District Police Officer (DPO) Nazir Khan. Military helicopters flew the critically injured from Bajaur to hospitals in Peshawar.
“We are still investigating and gathering information on the Bajaur blast. The Initial probe shows that banned outfit Daesh was involved,” the law enforcers said.
The police added they were gathering details about the suicide bomber, while the bomb disposal squad team was collecting evidence from the site. “CTD personnel are busy collecting other evidence.”
As Daesh carried out suicide bombing on the JUI-F convention in Bajaur, DPO Khan stated that three suspects had been apprehended.
Since last year, when a ceasefire between Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamabad ended, Pakistan has seen a resurgence of extremist attacks. Earlier this year, a mosque bombing in Peshawar killed over 100 people.
According to a recent UN Security Council report, the TTP may be looking to merge with Al Qaeda to form an umbrella organization that would house all militant groups operating in South Asia.
Pakistan has long blamed Afghanistan for failing to keep its promise to ensure that its territory is not used for terrorism in Islamabad, but cross-border militancy persists.
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman demanded that the incident be investigated by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and KP Caretaker 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.
PM Shehbaz condemned the blast, calling it an attack on Pakistan’s democratic process. He vowed that those responsible would be held accountable.
The Pakistan Army’s top brass recently stated that the safe havens and freedom of action available to terrorists of the proscribed TTP and other groups of that ilk in Afghanistan is one of the major factors affecting Pakistan’s security.
Terrorist activity in Pakistan increased by 79% in the first half of 2023, according to a statistical report released by the independent think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).
