29 children among the 70 dead in Taliban’s Easter blast

AT least 29 children were among those killed i n the Taliban’s deadly attack on Christian families celebrating Easter in a park in Pakistan.

Dozens more youngsters were injured in Sunday’s suicide bombi ng i n Lahore, which l eft 70 people dead.

Taliban splinter group Jamaatur-Ahrar, which once declared loyalty to Islamic State, said it carried out the atrocity to target Christians. However, most of those who died in the attack were Muslims.

At least 300 people were injured and officials say they expect the death toll to rise.

The area was more crowded than usual, as members of Lahore’s minority Christian community had gathered to celebrate Easter at a funfair in the park. Pakistan’s prime minister Nawaz Sharif yesterday l aunched a military crackdown on Islamists in Punjab.

He said: ‘Our resolve as a nation and as a government is getting stronger and the cowardly enemy is trying for soft targets. I want more proactive co- ordination between law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

‘ Provinces should speed up intelligence- based operations against terrorists.’

Sunday’s explosion hit the main gate to the Gulshan-e-Iqbal park close to a popular playground in the early evening. The bomb had been packed with ball bearings to tear through flesh and inflict maximum damage.

In the capital of Islamabad, extremists set cars on fire and demanded t hat authorities impose Sharia law. The army, which was deployed on Sunday to contain the rioters, remained out on the streets.

In recent weeks, Pakistan’s Islamist parties have been threatening widespread demonstration to protest what they say is Mr Sharif’s pro-western stance. They have also denounced draft legislation in Punjab outlawing violence against women.