At least 40 people were killed and over 200 people injured in a blast occurred at the JUI-F workers conventions in Khar, capital area of Bajaur on Sunday afternoon.
The rescue teams reached the blast site and shifted injured to the hospital. Police said that a blast occurred at JUI-F workers convention in Bajaur. As per al reports, the blast occurred in front of the NADRA office in Sandiaye area of the Khar in Bajaur. The martyred included Bajaur tehsil amir of JUI-F Maulana Zia ullah was also martyred, The district emergency officer shared that the injured are also being shifted to Timergara and Peshawar.
One of the injured includes Geo News cameraman Samiullah and has been shifted to the district headquarter hospital in Lower Dir as he is said to be in critical condition. JUI-F Khyber Pakhtunkhwa spokesperson Abdul Jalil Khan, told Geo News, that the explosion took place at around 4pm as Maulana Laeeq was addressing the convention. The provincial spokesperson said that JUI-F MNA Maulana Jamaluddin and Senator Abdul Rasheed were also present during the convention. He confirmed that one of the dead includes JUI-F’s Tehsil Khar Amir Maulana Ziaullah.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif telephoned JUI-F supremo Maualana Fazal ur Rehman and strongly condemned the blast. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah strongly condemned the explosion in the JUI convention in Bajaur district. He tweeted , “I am saddened and sorry for the loss of precious lives and pray for the high status of the martyrs.” The minister said that cowardly acts of terrorists cannot defy nation’s spirits to fight terrorism.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazul-ur-Rehman strongly condemned the blast and urged workers to ensure blood for the injured workers of the party. He asked workers to remain peaceful. JUIF senior leader Hafiz Hamdullah talking to SAMAA TV urged government to ensure emergency medical measures for the injured. “This is not jihad. This is an sheer terrorism,” maintained the JUI-F leader. “It is not the first blast that strikes JUI-F workers I excused myself from attending the convention due to my personnel meeting,” he said. He questioned the performance of the state institutions as multiple blasts were also occurred in the past in Bajaur. He urged state institutions to take notice of the blast and urged government to conduct the judicial inquiry of the incident. local leadership of JUI-F were present in the convention and injured were shifted to the local hospital. The Police and law enforcement agencies have yet to ascertain the nature of the blast, as whether it was a planted bomb blast or a suicide blast.
Meanwhile, the security personnel cordoned off the area and a search and clearance operation is underway. Bajaur is 85.39 miles away from provincial metropolis Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Foreign Minister and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari condemned the bomb blast in JUI-F convention in Bajaur. Bilawal Bhutto expressed his condolences to the victim families. Bilawal urged federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments should bring the patrons of terrorists to justice. FM Bilawal said terrorist planners needed to be eliminated. Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Sirajul Haq and JI leader Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan condemned the blast on strongest possible words.
ANP Member of National Assembly and former chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Amir Haider Khan Hoti wrote on the social media platform ‘X’ that inhumane attack on the workers’ convention of JUI in Bajaur was condemnable and perpetrators of such acts are not at least human. “We firmly stand with the victim’s family and the party at this difficult time,” he added. He said that unfortunately all the parties are silent on the ongoing unrest in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
“We have been raising for the last four years that terrorists are re-organizing here, but no one has listened. Even agreements were made to resettle the terrorists, the result of which is in front of us all. We still demand that no more fuel should be created in this war against terrorism and the only solution for prevention is the implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP),” he said. Hoti said action must also be taken against those who resettled the terrorists and declared them as ‘fighters’.
The Awami National Party (ANP) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Aimal Wali Khan condemned blast at JUI Convention in Bajaur. “The targeting of innocent political workers is less to be condemned. The increasing incidents of terrorism in Pakhtunkhwa province are alarming. Those who are responsible for the increasing incidents of terrorism are the same people who facilitated the terrorists. We have said it many times. That those who call terrorists ‘fighters’ are responsible for these situations,” the ANP said.
“The only solution to prevent terrorism is the implementation of the National Action Plan,” he said. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) KP leader and former finance minister of KP Taimur Khan Jhagra strongly condemned the explosion in the worker convention of Jamiat Ulema Islam (F) in Bajaur. “Our political differences aside but as a Pakistani and a Pashtun we are one. Prayers for those who were martyred and hope for the speedy recovery of the injured. Pakistan has to fight a war on huge fronts. I pray that we make the war against terrorists our priority. Save Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from being bloodied once again,” he tweeted.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has called for ‘revisit’ of priorities as he emphasised that the country cannot another wave of terrorism.
He tweeted, “Saddened to learn of the blast in Bajaur, which took over 40 precious lives while injuring 150 other. My condolences and thoughts go to the families of the victims.”
Hw wrote, “The rise in terror incidents across Pakistan particularly in KP, calls for an urgent need to reconsider our priorities. Those in power must shift their focus from political engineering to directing State’s efforts’ & resources towards countering terrorism.”
Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) President Abdul Aleem Khan strongly condemned Bajaur blast.
“The loss of life as a result is extremely saddening,” he said.
Aleem Khan said that after a thorough investigation of the incident, the government should bring out the facts and take action against those responsible.
“The occurrence of such incidents in political gatherings will affect the upcoming election. May Allah grant forgiveness to the dead and speedy recovery to the injured,” he said.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor Haji Ghulam Ali strongly condemned the explosion and commented no religion allowed killing of innocent people. He vowed to provide best facilities will be provided to the injured and termed these incidents as cowardly acts. “The attack is a conspiracy to weaken the country,” he stressed. He said according to DC and Commissioner, 35 people were martyred in the blast. “There must have been some negligence in security,” he admitted, putting question mark on the upcoming elections. KP Caretaker Information Minister Feroz Jamal also strongly condemned the incident and said 35 martyrs have been killed, around 200 are injured.
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