| President, PM condemn attack on Shia worshippers | ISK
claims responsibility | Joint investigation team begins probe
| PM’s aide terms blast ‘attack on Pakistan’ | Info Minister says
terror attack ‘part of big conspiracy’ against country

No threat was received about Peshawar attack: Sh Rashid

PM directs interior minister to step up worship places security

PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD   -   Terror revisited the provincial capital on Friday as a suicide bomber struck a mosque of Shia community, killing 57 people including a policeman and wounding more than 194 people.

People were waiting for Friday prayer at the mosque situated in Koocha Risaldar area of Qissa Khwani Bazaar, Peshawar when the attacker arrived at the police picket outside the worship place. The CCTV footage shows the suicide bomber, wearing black clothes, first fired shots at the policemen and other people outside the mosque and then entered the worship place.

According to eyewitnesses, the bomber first fired shots at people inside the mosque and later detonated the explosives he was carrying. A witness Shayan Haider had been preparing to enter the mosque when a powerful explosion threw him to the street. “I opened my eyes and there was dust and bodies everywhere,” he said.

There have been threat alerts about possible attacks in recent weeks. SSP Operations Haroon Rasheed told journalists at the blast scene that the blast was a suicide attack and that the attacker first targeted the cops on duty outside the mosque.

Later, Inspector General of Police Moazzam Jah Ansari and Capital City Police Officer Ijaz Khan also visited the blast scene.

The IGP told media that around 6kg explosives were used in the attack. He added that two policemen were guarding the mosque when the attacker opened firing on them, and a police guard got martyred while the other received critical injuries.

While some injured were shifted to other hospitals too, most of the casualties and injured were taken to the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) that is in close proximity to the blast site.

Hospital spokesman Muhammad Asim told the media that 57 bodies and 194 injured had been registered at the health facility. However, 10 of the injured were in critical condition till the filing of this report.

‘Attack on Pakistan’

Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Interfaith Harmony and Middle East and Pakistan Ulema Council Chairman Hafiz Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi Friday termed the Peshawar blast an attack on Pakistan.

Condemning the terrorist incident on behalf of the Ulema and Mashaikh of all schools of thoughts, he said the national security institutions would keep on foiling the nefarious designs of extremists and terrorists as they had done so in the past.

Offering condolence, Ashrafi said on this painful moment, he was with bereaved families and prayed for martyrs’ high ranks in Jannah besides early recovery of the injured ones.

On this occasion, he assured that the whole nation including religious scholars of all walks of life would do their utmost to make Pakistan a hub of peace and interfaith harmony.

A ‘big conspiracy’ against country

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain Friday said the Peshawar blast, which claimed the lives of dozens of innocent people, was part of a ‘big conspiracy against the country and vowed to thwart all inimical designs of the anti-state elements effectively.

 “In the past, we have effectively tackled such conspiracies, and now too by the grace of Allah Almighty, the enemies of Pakistan will fail,” the minister said in a tweet.

Meanwhile, in a statement, Fawad strongly condemned the blast and expressed grief over the loss of precious lives in the tragic incident. He prayed for the departed souls and the early recovery of the injured.

The minister said the investigation into the incident was being carried out, following which its details would be made public.

Many victims were taken by volunteers and people to the LRH on foot as the health facility is situated near the blast scene and also because the locality remained overcrowded and vehicles could not properly move there. While the LRH is the biggest public sector hospital of the province, the victims and their attendants face problems at the LRH because the blood, stretchers and bed fell short due to the huge numbers of the blast victims.

Emergency was declared in Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar after the suicide blast and all doctors and paramedics were called in for emergency duties.

At the hospital emergency department, there was chaos as doctors struggled to move the many wounded into operating theatres.

The hospital spokesman explained that there was no shortage of blood, medicines and all medical, surgical and diagnostic resources were mobilized for prompt treatment to the victims.

No militant group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack till the filing of this report.

Speaking to media persons, KP government spokesman Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif said that cops were guarding the mosque but that security was provided to all mosques as a general rule during congregation prayers of Fridays.

He said the families of those martyred and injured would be provided compensation as per the government’s package.

It may be mentioned here that the last suicide attack had rocked Peshawar in the year 2018, when a suicide bomber had killed 19 people, including Awami National Party leader Haroon Bashir Bilour. Bilour was then busy in an election campaign before the 2018 general elections. The banned TTP had claimed that attack.

Another bomb blast had taken place at a madrassa near Ring Road in Peshawar in October 2020 where more than seven madrassa students had died.

President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan have strongly condemned the Peshawar explosion.

In their separate messages, the president and the prime minister expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of life. They also extended condolences to the families of the deceased.

The prime minister ordered an inquiry into the incident.

The CM expressed profound grief and sorrow over precious loss of lives and condoled with victim families.

He directed rescue agencies and district administration to expedite rescue operations.

He directed administration of all hospitals to ensure the provision of best medical treatment to the injured.

He also sought a report of the incident from the IGP Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid also condemned the attack, saying he had directed the provincial chief secretary and inspector general of police to submit a report.

He expressed grief over the lives lost in the incident.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shah Farman, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, Provincial Minister for Irrigation Arshad Ayub, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry strongly condemned the suicide attack, saying that no religion allows brutal attacks on innocent people, while terrorism has nothing to do with any religion.

Other political leaders including former prime minister and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Asif Zardari, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz also condemned the blast and loss of precious human lives.

 Anti-state elements are trying to disturb the peace of the province which will not be allowed at any cost. Explosion on worshippers during Friday prayers is a cowardly act that deserves condemnation, said Arshad Ayub.

Meanwhile, the provincial government constituted a joint investigation team to probe the Peshawar suicide attack.

The team comprised officials of Counter Terrorism Department, Special Branch and local police.

The joint investigation team accompanied by Bomb Disposal Squad also visited the blast site and collected evidences and recorded statements of eye witnesses.

Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Friday said that some anti-Pakistan elements wanted to create chaos in the country.

The minister in a statement strongly condemned the Peshawar incident and said that it was a planned attack aimed at disrupting peace of the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Sheikh Rashid said that he has sought a report from the Chief Secretary and Inspector General of Police of KP.

He expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives in the blast.

He went on to say that the law enforcement agencies had received no threat about any terrorist attack in the area. He further said that LEAs have been directed to take all possible measures to ensure security in the area.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry in his remarks termed the blast part of a “big conspiracy.” He took to the Twitter to say that they had defeated such conspiracies effectively in the past and Pakistan’s enemies would face a defeat this time again.

He said that investigation into the incident was being carried out, and its details would be made public.

Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Interfaith Harmony and Middle East Hafiz Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi said that the explosion inside a mosque was an attack on Pakistan.

He condemned the incident on behalf of the ulema belonging to different schools of thought.

He said the national security institutions would keep on foiling the nefarious designs of extremists and terrorists.

Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani, Deputy Chairman Senate Mirza Muhammad Afridi, Leader of the House in the Senate Dr Shahzad Waseem, and Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani condemned the incident.

Separately, Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaisar, and Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri also condemned the suicide blast.

The leaders of various political parties expressed their grief and sorrow over the incident.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed law enforcement agencies to remain vigilant in the wake of a fresh terror wave in the country and beef up the security of public and private places as well as places of worship of all faiths.

The PM said this while talking to Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed at the PM Office here yesterday.

The PM directed the minister to review the existing security plan and revise it in the wake of the fresh terror wave.

The interior minister also briefed the PM about the security situation in the country and said steps are being taken to beef up the security across the country including provincial capitals.

He told the PM that all provincial home departments have been further directed to enhance their coordination and working with federal agencies on counter-terrorism and beef up security of important public and places of worship.

ISK claims responsibility

Reportedly, Islamic State Khurasan (ISK) late Friday claimed responsibility for the attack in Peshawar’s Imambargah. The terror group identified the bomber as “Jalaibib Al-Kabali”. This is the first major attack in Peshawar that has been claimed by IS.

OIC Secretary General condoles loss of lives

Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hissein Brahim Taha called Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to convey deepest condolences on the loss of innocent lives in the terrorist attack in Peshawar on Friday.

Strongly condemning the incident, the OIC Secretary-General noted that terrorism was a common challenge that needed to be countered together by the Ummah and the international community

The Foreign Minister thanked the Secretary-General for the condolences and the expression of solidarity with Pakistan.

UN chief voices ‘deep’ sorrow over terrorist attacks in Peshawar

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed his “deep condolences” over Friday’s terrorist attack against a Peshawar mosque in which at least 56 people were killed and hundreds more injured.

In a phone call to Pakistan UN Ambassador Munir Akram, the UN chief said that this was personal for him since he knows Peshawar very well and had been well treated by its people.

“He asked me to convey his deepest condolences to the people, Government, and leadership of Pakistan,” Ambassador Akram wrote on the Twitter.