At least 56 people were killed in a suicide bombing that targeted a rally organized by the Jamiat Ulema Islam party in northwest Pakistan. The attack took place in the Bajur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan. Nearly 200 people were also wounded in the blast, with the death toll expected to rise as critically injured victims succumb to their injuries. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but initial investigations suggest the involvement of the Islamic State group’s regional affiliate.
The rally was organized in support of Fazlur Rehman, a prominent cleric and politician who heads the Jamiat Ulema Islam party. Rehman, who has previously escaped bomb attacks, was not present at the gathering. The bombing is believed to have been aimed at weakening Rehman’s party ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections expected in October or November.
Bajur has a history of Islamist presence and was once a base for Al Qaeda and a stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban. However, the army declared the district clear of militant groups in 2016 after a series of offensives. The Islamic State’s Khorasan Province affiliate, based in neighboring Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, is a rival of the Afghan Taliban and Al Qaeda and could be responsible for the attack.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed condolences to Rehman and promised to bring the perpetrators of the attack to justice. The bombing has received condemnation from both ruling and opposition parties in Pakistan, as well as from the US and Russian embassies in Islamabad. The attack occurred just hours before the arrival of Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Pakistan, highlighting the security concerns surrounding China’s investments in the country.
This bombing is one of the deadliest attacks in northwest Pakistan since 2014, when the Taliban targeted an army-run school in Peshawar, killing 147 people, mostly schoolchildren. It serves as a reminder of the persistent threat of terrorism in the region and the challenges faced by the Pakistani government in maintaining security and stability. As investigations continue, authorities will be keen to identify the culprits and prevent further attacks in the lead-up to the elections.
