Taliban suicide bombing kills 21 at rally
ISLAMABAD — The death toll of the suicide blast that hit a public rally in Pakistan’s northwest provincial capital of Peshawar on Tuesday night rose to 21 on Wednesday, officials said, in the first major attack ahead of July 25 polls.
A local leader of the Awami National Party, or ANP, Haroon Bilour, was among those killed in the attack in the city of Peshawar late on Tuesday, officials have confirmed.
The bombing came hours after the Pakistan military spokesman said there were security threats ahead of national elections.
Mohammad Khorasani, spokesman for the Tehreek-eTaliban Pakistan militant group, claimed the responsibility for the attack.
“Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s mujahid (holy fighter) Abdul Karim last night carried out a suicide attack on important ANP leader Haroon Bilour in which he has been killed,” Khorasani said in a statement.
He said the militants “have already declared a war” on the ANP and called on the public to keep away from them, “or you will be responsible for your own loss”.
Bomb disposal chief Shafqat Malik said the suicide bomber — who he said was around 16 years old — had 8 kilograms of explosives and 3 kg of pellets, ball bearings and other shrapnel on his body.
Islamic extremists grew to despise the ANP when it ruled the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, of which Peshawar is the capital, from 2008 to 2013. During that time the military waged a major offensive against militants in the Swat Valley. The militants responded by carrying out a wave of attacks ahead of the 2013 elections, killing hundreds of ANP supporters.
Peshawar lawyers went on strike on Wednesday to mourn the death of Haroon, who was also a barrister.
Local traders also announced a strike and mourners thronged around Bilour’s residence to offer condolences.
Bilour was one of the ANP’s election candidates and belonged to an influential political family in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, of which Peshawar is the capital.
His father Bashir Bilour, one of the ANP’s top leaders, was also killed by a suicide bomber in 2012.
Enhanced security
Tuesday’s bombing was condemned by political parties and the government.
The bombing came hours after the army said it would deploy more than 370,000 security forces to polling stations to ensure free, fair and transparent national elections. That is more than five times the number of troops deployed during the last elections in 2013, when the security situation was much worse.
Major General Asif Ghafoor, an army spokesman, said the troops would provide security at 85,000 polling stations and carry out other election-related duties following a request from the civilian body overseeing the vote. Nearly 135,000 of the troops have been called up from retirement.
conduct a search at the scene of the suicide bombing on Tuesday in Peshawar, Pakistan. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.