Seven people were killed and another 22 sustained injuries in an explosion at the Awami National Party (ANP) rally here in Nowshera on Monday, police said.
According to police, the blast took place as soon as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti took off in a helicopter after addressing the rally. The blast took place 50 metres away from the site of the rally.
The participants of the rally, thousands in number, were leaving the venue when the blast took place. Eyewitnesses said that some police officials also became a victim of the incident.
The Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS), after inspecting the site, revealed that an explosives-laden motorcycle with about 3-4kgs explosives was parked by the roadside. The bomb was detonated with a remote-control, and it was not a suicide attack, confirmed BDS officials.
ANP leader Haji Adeel condemned the attack and expressed grief over the loss of lives in the incident. He said that his party was “totally against terrorism”.
Commenting on the security arrangements of the rally, Adeel said that if the security was not adequate enough then the blast would have taken place inside the rally instead of 50 metres away.
The miscreants were trying to take the motorcycle to the helipad but detonated the bomb when the police tried to stop the vehicle.
Provincial leader Liaquat Shabab paid condolences to the families of the deceased and paid tribute to the police officials for laying their lives in order to avoid “an even worse possible incident”.
ANP leader Ghulam Ahmed Bilour termed such incidents as an “international conspiracy” and said that such incidents are pulling people away from Islam.
Rescue operation was underway at the site while the injured and the dead were shifted to different hospitals.
Around 5,000 participants were present at the rally, as well as several other party leaders.
The Awami National Party, which leads the provincial government, had called the meeting, attended by its senior members.
Meanwhile, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) South Waziristan chapter claimed responsibility for the suicide attack at the ANP rally. Asim Mehsud, a spokesman for the TTP SWA, called media persons to claim responsibility for the blast. He said the TTP would continue to target ANP.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik while condemning the blast has ordered inquiry into the blast. The interior minister also talked to Amir Haider Hoti soon after the blast and inquired about his safety. He also contacted DPO Nowshera to get details of the blast.