At least 40 killed and 100 injured in blast at political rally in northwestern Pakistan
An explosion at a political rally in northwestern Pakistan is reported to have killed at least 40 people.
The blast occurred as a bomb ripped through a crowd of supporters of hardline cleric and political leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman, local officials said.
More than 100 people have been reported injured in the incident on the outskirts of Khar, the capital of Bajur district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, near the border with Afghanistan.
Some of the injured were taken to the city’s main hospital, others to Timrgara and Peshawar.
Mr Rehman, whose party is currently in government as part of a coalition, did not attend the meeting.
At least 40 people have been killed in an explosion in northwestern Pakistan
Another 100 people are injured, according to reports from local officials
The blast occurred during a political rally involving supporters of a local political leader
The Bajur District, which borders Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, was previously an area known for militant attacks
Maulana Ziaullah, the local leader of Mr Rehman’s Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party, is among those killed in the blast.
The political party successfully ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan in a vote of no confidence last year.
An area known for its attacks until recently, Bajur was a safe haven for Islamist militants until major military operations removed the threat.
Mr Rehman is considered sympathetic to the Taliban, who have ruled neighboring Afghanistan since 2021.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
Gatherings are being organized across Pakistan in the run-up to the upcoming elections in October.