Death toll in Pakistan suicide bombing rises to 54 as families hold funerals, police say

People offer funeral prayers to the victims who died in a bomb blast in Bajaur district of Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province on July 31, 2023. (AFP)
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Updated 31 July 2023
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Death toll in Pakistan suicide bombing rises to 54 as families hold funerals, police say

  • Sunday’s bombing in Bajaur wounded nearly 200 people
  • Police suspect involvement of Daesh group’s regional affiliate

KHAR, Pakistan: The death toll from a massive suicide bombing that targeted an election rally for a pro-Taliban cleric rose to 54 Monday, as Pakistan held funerals and the government vowed to hunt down those behind the attack.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for Sunday’s bombing, which also wounded nearly 200 people. Police said their initial investigation suggested that the Daesh group’s regional affiliate could be responsible.
The victims were attending a rally organized by the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, headed by hard-line cleric and politician Fazlur Rehman. He did not attend the rally, held under a large tent close to a market in Bajur, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan.




Security personnel examine the site of a bomb blast in Bajaur district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province on July 31, 2023. (AFP)

Rehman, who has long supported Afghanistan’s Taliban government, escaped at least two known bomb attacks in 2011 and 2014, when bombings damaged his car at rallies.
Victims of the bombing were buried in Bajur on Monday.
As condolences continued to pour in from across the country, dozens of people who received minor injuries were discharged from hospital while the critically wounded were taken to the provincial capital of Peshawar by army helicopters. The death toll continued to rise as critically wounded people died in hospital, physician Gul Naseeb said.
On Monday, police recorded statements from some of the wounded at a hospital in Khar, Bajur’s largest town. Feroz Jamal, the provincial information minister, said police were “investigating this attack in all aspects.”
At least 1,000 people were gathered under a large tent Sunday as their party prepared for parliamentary elections, expected in October or November.
“People were chanting God is Great on the arrival of senior leaders, when I heard the deafening sound of the bomb,” said Khan Mohammad, a local resident who said he was standing outside the tent.
Mohammad said he heard people crying for help, and minutes later ambulances started arriving and taking the wounded away.
Abdul Rasheed, a senior leader in Rehman’s party said the bombing was aimed at weakening the party but that “such attacks cannot deter our resolve.”
Islamist groups have long had a presence in Bajur. The district was formerly a base for Al Qaida and a stronghold of the outlawed Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP. The army declared the district clear of the group in 2016 following a series of offensives.




Security personnel walk past bomb blast victims at a hospital in Bajaur district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province on July 31, 2023. (AFP)

The IS regional affiliate, known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, is based in neighboring Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province and is a rival of the Afghan Taliban and Al Qaida.
Shaukat Abbas, a senior police officer, said that police have made progress in their investigation, but did not provide details.
Pakistani security analyst Mahmood Shah told The Associated Press that breakaway factions of the TTP could also be behind the attack. He said some TTP members have been known to disobey their top leadership to carry out attacks, as have breakaway factions of the group.
Shah said such factions could have perpetrated the attack to cause “confusion, instability and unrest ahead of the elections.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to dissolve Pakistan’s parliament in August.
Rehman’s party is part of Sharif’s coalition government, which came to power in April 2022 by ousting former Prime Minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence vote in the legislature.
Sharif called Rehman to express his condolences and assure the cleric that those who orchestrated the attack would be punished. The bombing has also drawn nationwide condemnation, with ruling and opposition parties offering condolences to the families of the victims. The US and Russian embassies in Islamabad also condemned the attack.
Khan condemned the bombing Sunday.
The Pakistani Taliban condemned the attack, while the Afghan Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, said on Twitter that “such crimes cannot be justified in any way.
The bombing came hours before the arrival of Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Islamabad, where on Monday he was to participate in an event to mark a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a sprawling package under which Beijing has invested billions of dollars in Pakistan.
In recent months, China has helped Pakistan avoid a default on sovereign payments. Some Chinese nationals have also been targeted by militants in northwestern Pakistan and elsewhere.
Sunday’s bombing was one of the four worst attacks in northwestern Pakistan since 2014, when 147 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar.
In January, 74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. And in February, more than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a bombing at a mosque inside a high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters.

 


Pakistan launches probe into ex-PM Khan’s ‘threatening’ social media post targeting state institutions

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Pakistan launches probe into ex-PM Khan’s ‘threatening’ social media post targeting state institutions

  • Khan criticized powerful people, saying they were putting the country’s stability at stake to maintain power
  • Information minister say FIA is investigating who is operating Khan’s social media account and from where

ISLAMABAD: The government has directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to investigate a “threatening” social media post by former Prime Minister Imran Khan in which he criticized Pakistan’s military and judiciary, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced on Friday, adding a team of interrogators was currently questioning him in prison.

Since the collapse of his government in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022, Khan has repeatedly alleged that his ouster was orchestrated by US officials in Washington with the complicity of Pakistan’s military, accusations that both the US and Pakistani authorities have denied.

Khan, who has been imprisoned for over a year on multiple charges, has continuously criticized Pakistan’s military and intelligence services, accusing them of involvement in a failed assassination attempt on him during a protest in November 2022.

In a recent social media post, he likened the current military leadership to General Yahya Khan, accusing them of risking the country’s stability to maintain power. He also named Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa among the powerful individuals who he said were upholding the “system of injustice and brutality” against his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

“The FIA is investigating the matter of the threatening post by PTI’s founding chairman,” the information minister said in a statement.

“The founding chairman of PTI shared an anti-state post on social media and posted material against Pakistan’s integrity,” he continued, adding he had targeted the institutions of military and judiciary.

The minister said that an FIA team had arrived at Adiala Jail to determine who was operating Khan’s social media account and from where.

Tarrar did not elaborate on why he considered the ex-premier’s lengthy post threatening, though it urged Pakistanis to “come out for a street movement to protect our freedom.”

Khan’s legal spokesperson, Naeem Haider Panjutha, also confirmed that a “four-member team” from the FIA’s Cyber Crime Wing had gone to the prison to interrogate the former prime minister while condemning the development.


Dhaka’s National Press Club marks 76th death anniversary of Pakistan’s founder

Updated 13 September 2024
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Dhaka’s National Press Club marks 76th death anniversary of Pakistan’s founder

  • Participants say Bangladesh would have been treated like Kashmir if it had not been part of Pakistan in 1947
  • They emphasize the need for closer relations with Pakistan and China, asking their country to honor MA Jinnah

ISLAMABAD: In a significant development, the National Press Club in Dhaka arranged an event in remembrance of Pakistan’s founding father, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, to mark his 76th death anniversary with Urdu songs, poetry, and recitals this week, according to a report published by a Bangladeshi newspaper on Thursday.
The tribute to Jinnah comes at a time of profound political change in Bangladesh, where just weeks ago, a student-led protest toppled Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid’s government, marking the end of her 15-year rule.
The unrest led to the toppling of statues of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the nation’s founding father and Wajid’s father, amidst widespread dissatisfaction with his daughter’s increasingly autocratic governance.
The event in remembrance of Pakistan’s founding leader is particularly striking, given Bangladesh’s historical resentment toward Pakistan over the events of the 1971 independence war, signaling a re-evaluation of the country’s political and historical narratives, driven by a turbulent domestic environment and evolving sentiments toward its neighbors.
“If Bangladesh had not been part of Pakistan in 1947, we would have been in the same position as Kashmir today, with the Indian junta holding weapons to our necks,” one of the speakers identified as Muhammad Samsuddin was quoted as saying by the newspaper. “Bangladesh gained independence because of Pakistan, which Jinnah helped create.”
“Why should we change the name of Allama Iqbal Hall or Jinnah Avenue,” he asked. “These changes were made because [New] Delhi wanted them, but we did not. Bangladesh must foster strong relations with China and Pakistan.”
Another speaker, Nazrul Islam, said Bangladesh should continue to have good relations with Pakistan.
“If Jinnah had not been there, Pakistan would not have existed, and without Pakistan, Bangladesh would not exist,” he continued. “Jinnah is the father of our nation, but we do not acknowledge it.”
“We must preserve our brotherhood, and I hope that both Jinnah’s birth and death anniversaries will continue to be observed here every year,” he added.
The Bangladeshi newspaper informed the Pakistani high commissioner was invited to the event, though he could not attend the ceremony and sent his deputy.
Two Pakistani students studying in Bangladesh were present at the gathering and performed Urdu songs dedicated to their country’s founding father.
 


Pakistan’s army chief vows support to police amid rising militant attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Updated 13 September 2024
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Pakistan’s army chief vows support to police amid rising militant attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

  • Militant factions have relentlessly targeted the cops in the province, leading to police protests in KP
  • General Munir vows to maintain ‘the hard-earned peace’ during his visit to the Orakzai tribal district

ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir praised the police and other law enforcement agencies (LEAs) in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province during a visit to the Orakzai tribal district on Friday, vowing to provide all possible support to them in performing their duties.

The army chief’s visit comes at a time when militant factions operating in the area have relentlessly targeted the police, killing over 75 of them since the beginning of the year, leading to protests by law enforcement personnel in various parts of the province against these killings.

Security in the region has mostly been dominated by the army, which has been fighting proscribed militant factions like Al Qaeda and the Pakistani Taliban for about two decades, with the police seeking greater government support to empower them to deal with extremist violence in the area.

The military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), informed General Munir received a briefing on the security situation in the area along with the ongoing intelligence-based counterterrorism operations that have been undertaken to ensure stability in the restive tribal district.

“Pak Army will continue to provide all out support to KPK Police and other LEAs in enabling them to perform their duties in newly merged districts,” the army chief said, referring to the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan that were integrated into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa nearly six years ago.

Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir (left in first row) receives briefing on the security situation during his visit to the Orakzai tribal district, Pakistan, on September 13, 2024. (ISPR)

He paid tribute to all the uniformed personnel of the police and security forces who had laid down their lives while performing their duties, saying “the hard-earned peace” achieved through their sacrifices would be maintained at all costs.

Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir (right) interacts with troops in Orakzai tribal district, Pakistan, on September 13, 2024. (ISPR)

The army chief also appreciated the support of the local population in assisting the security forces with their efforts, noting that their positive role was essential in sustaining peace in the region.

Earlier, General Munir laid a floral wreath at the Martyrs’ Memorial and interacted with troops in Orakzai who had participated in recent counterterrorism operations in the area.


Pakistan stocks rally after policy rate cut, positive developments on IMF front

Updated 13 September 2024
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Pakistan stocks rally after policy rate cut, positive developments on IMF front

  • The benchmark KSE-100 index rose by more than 800 on Friday morning
  • It declined in the afternoon session to close at 79,333, up by 315 points

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Friday rallied by more than 300 points, according to the PSX website, following a policy rate cut by the central bank and positive developments with regard to the country’s International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout.

The benchmark KSE-100 index rose by more than 800 on Friday morning, but declined in the afternoon trading session to close at 79,333, up by 315 points.

A day earlier, the central bank cut its key policy rate by 200 basis points to 17.5 percent — the third straight reduction since June as the country looks to spur growth as inflation eases.

“The MPC assessed the real interest rate to still be adequately positive to bring inflation down to the medium-term target of 5–7 percent and help ensure macroeconomic stability,” the State Bank of Pakistan’s Monetary Policy Committee said in a statement, announcing the cut.

“This would be essential to achieve sustainable economic growth over the medium term.”

Separately, the IMF said its board would meet at the end of this month to discuss Pakistan’s new $7 billion bailout program that was agreed in July.

“All matters with the IMF have been settled amicably,” Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said in a statement on Thursday. “These matters will be finalized in the meeting of the IMF board this month.”

Pakistan’s sovereign dollar bonds also rallied on Thursday, with the 2031 maturity trading 1 cent higher to bid at 79.93 cents on the dollar, according to Tradeweb data.


Pakistan steps up health security at Karachi airports after fifth mpox case

Updated 13 September 2024
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Pakistan steps up health security at Karachi airports after fifth mpox case

  • Border Health Services at Jinnah International screened 146,722 passengers during the month of August
  • The airport authority disinfects immigration and lounge areas after international flights two to three times

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has bolstered health security measures at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport, one of the busiest in the country, to prevent the spread of the mpox virus, an official statement said on Friday, following the confirmation of the fifth case of the disease earlier this week.

Mpox, a viral disease causing flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions, has prompted global concern, with the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring it a public health emergency on August 14. A new strain of the virus, which first emerged in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has since spread to several countries, leading to increased monitoring and preventive measures worldwide.

Pakistani health authorities have also maintained they have implemented stringent screening protocols at airports and border entry points to prevent the spread of the disease. However, local media reported this week the latest mpox case had gone undetected at Islamabad airport, and the patient on an international flight had continued to travel to the nearby province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“The number of Border Health Services staff at Jinnah International has been increased,” the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA), headquartered in Karachi, announced in its statement. “Two doctors will now be on duty instead of one.”

It said the number of medical assistants had also been increased from five, and at least eight to ten of them will be deployed for duty at the airport.

“During August, 146,722 passengers were screened at Jinnah International,” the statement added. “Since the monitoring began, only one passenger was found to be a suspect on August 31.”

The PAA informed that disinfectant spraying is carried out two to three times in the immigration and lounge areas after every international flight.

It added that additional cabins have also been installed for the screening and isolation of suspected passengers.

“Awareness stands have been placed in the international arrivals walkway area at Jinnah International,” the statement said, adding that additional mpox awareness sessions have also been introduced at the airport’s resource center.

Speaking to Arab News earlier this week, a spokesperson for Pakistan’s health ministry, Sajid Hussain Shah, said the country’s Border Health Services were fully equipped to screen mpox patients.

“Four of five mpox cases were detected by health officials after screening suspects at different airports,” he said, adding it usually takes ten to twelve days to develop symptoms, making it possible for a patient to occasionally slip through the scanning process and develop symptoms later.

“Our Border Health Services officials have been following WHO guidelines at all airports and borders to screen and scan passengers for the disease,” he added.