No one immediately claimed responsibility for Sunday’s bombing, which also wounded nearly 200 people. Police said their initial investigation suggested that the Islamic State group’s regional affiliate could be responsible.
The death toll resulting from a massive suicide bombing that targeted an election rally for a pro-Taliban cleric has risen to 54 as of Monday. Pakistan mourned the loss, holding funerals for the victims, while the government vowed to relentlessly pursue those responsible for the attack.
Although no group has claimed immediate responsibility for Sunday’s devastating bombing, the police’s preliminary investigation suggests the involvement of the Islamic State group’s regional affiliate.
The tragic incident unfolded during a rally organized by the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, led by the hard-line cleric and politician Fazlur Rehman. However, Rehman himself was not present at the rally, which took place under a large tent in the vicinity of a market in Bajur, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province sharing a border with Afghanistan.
Fazlur Rehman, known for his support of Afghanistan’s Taliban government, has faced dangerous situations before. He narrowly escaped at least two known bomb attacks in 2011 and 2014, both of which targeted his car during rallies.
On Monday, the victims of the bombing were laid to rest in Bajur as the nation grappled with the aftermath of the tragic event.
As condolences continued to flood in from all corners of the country, numerous individuals with minor injuries were released from the hospital, while those in critical condition were airlifted to the provincial capital of Peshawar by army helicopters. The death toll continued to climb as critically injured individuals succumbed to their injuries while receiving treatment in the hospital, according to physician Gul Naseeb.
On Monday, police took statements from some of the wounded at a hospital in Khar, the largest town in Bajur. Feroz Jamal, the provincial information minister, affirmed that the police were thoroughly investigating all aspects of this attack.
‘Deafening Sound of the Bomb’
At least 1,000 people had gathered under a large tent on Sunday as their political party, Jamiat Ulema Islam, prepared for the upcoming parliamentary elections expected in October or November.
Local resident Khan Mohammad recalled the horrifying moment of the attack, saying, “People were chanting ‘God is Great’ on the arrival of senior leaders when I heard the deafening sound of the bomb.” He further described hearing cries for help and witnessing ambulances rush to the scene to tend to the wounded.
The bombing, which claimed 54 lives and left nearly 200 people injured, targeted the political rally and has been seen as an attempt to weaken the Jamiat Ulema Islam party. Despite the devastating incident, senior leader Abdul Rasheed asserted that “such attacks cannot deter our resolve.”
Bajur district, where the bombing occurred, has had a longstanding presence of Islamist groups. It was once a base for Al Qaida and a stronghold of the outlawed Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). However, the Pakistani army declared the district clear of TTP in 2016 after conducting a series of offensives.
While the Islamic State regional affiliate, the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, is based in neighboring Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, it is considered a rival of the Afghan Taliban and Al Qaida. Police have made progress in their investigation into the attack, but details have not been disclosed.
Security analyst Mahmood Shah speculates that breakaway factions of the TTP might also be behind the attack, as some members have been known to defy their leadership and carry out attacks. Such actions may be aimed at causing confusion, instability, and unrest ahead of the upcoming elections.
In response to the tragic incident, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to dissolve Pakistan’s parliament in August. Sharif, along with other political leaders, has expressed condolences and condemnation for the attack, vowing to hold the perpetrators accountable.
The Taliban distanced itself from the attack, denouncing it as an attempt to pit Islamists against each other. The incident occurred just hours before Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng’s arrival in Islamabad to mark the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’s ten-year anniversary.
Sunday’s bombing ranks among the four deadliest attacks in northwestern Pakistan since 2014 when 147 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar.
