Political Gathering in Northwest Pakistan Devastated by Suicide Bomber; at least 44 dead, 200 severely injured

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A suicide bomber executed an attack at a political gathering in the previously militant-ridden northwest Pakistan bordering Afghanistan this Sunday, resulting in a minimum of 44 fatalities and injuring approximately 200. A senior official claimed that this assault was intended to destabilize Pakistani Islamists.

Once a bastion for the Pakistani Taliban—an associate of Afghanistan’s Taliban regime—the Bajur district near the Afghan frontier has been reclaimed from these militants by the Pakistani army. Devotees of Maulana Fazlur Rehman, a hardline Pakistani cleric and the leader of the political party Jamiat Ulema Islam which typically backs regional Islamists, were gathered at Bajur in a hall located near a market just outside the district capital. While Rehman was not in attendance at the rally, the venue was expanded with tents to accommodate the massive turnout, with party volunteers wielding batons to manage the crowd.

The explosion occurred during the announcement of Abdul Rasheed’s arrival, a significant figure in the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, resulting in one of Pakistan’s deadliest recent assaults.

The regional police communicated in a statement that a suicide bomber, who activated his explosives near the stage where several party seniors were seated, orchestrated the assault. Initial investigations hint at the involvement of the Islamic State group—an adversary of the Afghan Taliban that operates in Afghanistan—although the inquiry is still ongoing.

“Dust and smoke enveloped the surroundings, I was trapped under several injured people, barely managing to get up, and was met with utter chaos and dismembered body parts,” shared Adam Khan, a 45-year-old attendee of the rally who was hurled to the ground due to the explosion around 4 p.m., and was injured by shrapnel in his leg and hands.

The Pakistan Taliban, or TTP, conveyed in a statement to The Big Big News that their objective behind the bombing was to sow discord amongst Islamists. Afghan Taliban spokesperson, Zabiullah Mujahid, condemned the event on the social media platform X, earlier known as Twitter, stating that such acts of violence are never justifiable.

After seizing control of Afghanistan in mid-August 2021, the Afghan Taliban’s actions have emboldened the TTP. They broke a ceasefire agreement with the Pakistani government in November unilaterally and have escalated their attacks across the country.

The explosion preceded the arrival of Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Islamabad, who was slated to partake in an event celebrating the 10th anniversary of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a broad project through which Beijing has pumped billions of dollars into Pakistan.

In recent times, China has helped Pakistan avert defaulting on sovereign payments. However, militants in northwestern Pakistan and other regions have targeted some Chinese nationals.

Provincial information minister, Feroz Jamal, informed The Big Big News that the bombing resulted in the martyrdom of 44 individuals and nearly 200 injuries so far.

This explosion ranks among the four deadliest attacks in the northwest since 2014, when 147 people, predominantly schoolchildren, were slain in a Taliban attack on a military-operated school in Peshawar. Earlier this year, a mosque bombing in Peshawar killed 74 people in January, followed by another mosque bombing in February within a high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters, claiming the lives of over 100, mainly police personnel.

Both President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced the attack, urging officials to extend all possible support to the wounded and grieving families. Sharif later conveyed his condolences to Rehman, the JUI leader, in a phone call and assured him that those behind the attack would face punishment.

The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad also expressed its condemnation of the assault. In a post on the social media platform X, earlier known as Twitter, it extended its condolences to the victims’ families and loved ones.

Among the deceased was Maulana Ziaullah, the local head of Rehman’s party. Although JUI leaders Rasheed and former lawmaker Maulana Jamaluddin were present on stage, they survived the blast unscathed.

Rasheed, the party’s regional chief, condemned the attack as an attempt to weaken JUI ahead of the November parliamentary elections, but he asserted that such tactics would fail. This incident drew national condemnation, with ruling and opposition parties offering condolences to the victims’ families.

Rehman is known as a pro-Taliban cleric, and his political party is part of the governing coalition in Islamabad. Rallies are being organized nationwide to garner support for the upcoming elections.

“Many of our colleagues have lost their lives, with many more injured in this incident. I urge the federal and provincial administrations to conduct a thorough investigation into this incident and provide appropriate compensation and medical aid to the victims,” stated Rasheed.

Mohammad Wali, another rally attendee, was attending a speech when the massive explosion left him temporarily deaf.

“I was retrieving a glass of water when the bomb detonated, flinging me to the ground,” he recounted. “We attended the meeting filled with enthusiasm but found ourselves in a hospital amidst the cries of the injured and the sorrowful relatives collecting the bodies of their loved ones.”

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This report was brought to you by Riaz Khan from Peshawar, with additional contributions from Munir Ahmad of The Big Big News, based in Islamabad.

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More about Suicide Bombing

• History of Pakistan Taliban
• Background on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
• Profile of Maulana Fazlur Rehman
• Recent violence in Pakistan
• Overview of the Islamic State group activities