PESHAWAR: At least five people lost their lives and another 50 were reportedly injured on Sunday in a blast that ripped through a Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) workers’ convention in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district, police and rescue workers said.
According to Express News, the explosion took place inside a hall located in a market near the Dubai Mor area of Bajaur, where the JUI-F convention was underway.
Rescue workers said they feared the number of casualties would rise, with authorities also fearing that the number of fatalities may also be greater.
“Between 10 to 12 of our party workers are said to have been martyred in the explosion, with over three dozen wounded,” JUI-F senior leader Hafiz Hamdullah told a local news channel.
“I condemn the blast in the strongest words. I want to send a message to those responsible: If you call this jihad, you are mistaken, this is fasaad and outright terrorism. This is an attack on humanity, the state and region of Bajaur. This is not Islam, but a grave injustice against Islam and its followers,”
The JUI-F leader demanded that the state and concerned authorities investigate the attack, and the government use all means possible to provide treatment to the injured.
As soon as the news of the blast was reported, the police and rescue agencies rushed to the scene to provide assistance, and the injured were shifted to nearby hospitals for medical treatment.
The DIG of Police in Malakand division has said that they are currently gathering information about the exact nature and cause of the blast.
In the aftermath of the incident, law enforcement agencies have cordoned off the area, and investigations are underway to determine the cause and motive behind the explosion.
Emergency responders have confirmed at least five dead and up to 50 people injured in the blast.
