Connect with us

Pakistan

Police get a break in Bajaur blast probe as death toll jumps to 54

Published

on

  • 83 injured people undergoing treatment at different hospitals.
  • CTD says initial probe has led them close to perpetrators of attack.
  • Official says forensic reports of evidence being expected soon.

PESHAWAR: The death toll from the suicide blast in the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) workers’ convention in Bajaur rose to 54 after more wounded in the explosion succumbed to their injuries on Monday, officials said.

A deadly blast ripped through Bajaur district’s Khar, a former tribal area bordering Afghanistan, on Sunday evening when a suicide bomber set off explosives at the JUI-F gathering, killing around 40 people on the spot and over 100 injured.

Police said the initial probe suggested that the terrorist organisation Daesh was behind the suicide attack.

Currently, 83 injured people are undergoing treatment at different hospitals, Counter-Terrorism Department’s (CTD) Additional Inspector General Shokat Abbas said.

Sharing the investigation update, the official said the convention began at 2pm while the explosion occurred two hours later at 4:10pm.

He said that ball bearings and other stuff used in making the explosives had been found at the site of the explosion.

Abbas further stated that the terrorist group behind the attack had been identified, which had targetted someone “specific” in the gathering.

He said that the initial probe had led the CTD to close to the attack’s perpetrators.

Abbas said that many pieces of evidence have been found at the site of the explosion, and forensic reports are being expected soon.

He confirmed that 10-12kg of explosives were used in the blast.

Meanwhile, the KP CTD registered an FIR against unknown suspects on charges of terrorism, murder, attempted murder and others, on behalf of Khar Station House Officer Niaz Mohammad.

Separately, CTD’s Bajaur Senior Superintendent (SP) Amjad Khan said investigators visited the crime scene and gathered evidence to further the ongoing investigations.

He said that statements of the injured had been recorded while the process of geo-fencing at the site of the explosion had also been completed.

The United States and Saudi Arabia condemned the deadly suicide blast, with Russia condoling the affected families.

Pakistan has seen a resurgence of attacks by extremists since last year when a ceasefire between the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamabad broke down. A mosque bombing in Peshawar killed over 100 people earlier this year.

A report submitted to the UN Security Council recently mentioned that the TTP might be seeking a merger with Al Qaeda to create an umbrella organisation that shelters all militant groups operating in South Asia.

Pakistan has long blamed Afghanistan for not living up to its commitment to ensuring that its soil is not used for terrorism in Islamabad, but cross-border militancy continues.

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman demanded that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and KP Caretaker Chief Minister Azam Khan investigate the incident.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest News

Microsoft and BlackRock are set to establish a $30 billion fund for artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Published

on

By

AI models, particularly those employed in deep learning and extensive data processing, necessitate considerable computer power, resulting in increased energy usage.

The computational demands of AI have compelled technology firms to interconnect thousands of chips in clusters to attain the requisite data processing capacity, resulting in a significant increase in the demand for specialized data centers.

The investment entity, termed Global AI Infrastructure Investment Partnership, seeks to improve AI supply chains and energy procurement, according to BlackRock and Microsoft.

MGX, the investment firm supported by Abu Dhabi, will serve as a general partner in the fund, while Nvidia (NVDA.O), a manufacturer of AI chips, will provide its expertise.

The collaboration is expected to generate a total investment potential of up to $100 billion, inclusive of loan funding, according to the corporations.

The investments will primarily be in the United States, with the remainder allocated to partner countries, as stated by the firms.

The Financial Times initially reported on the development.

Continue Reading

Latest News

The price of gold declines in Pakistan.

Published

on

By

The price of 10 grams of 24 karat gold declined by Rs. 257, falling to Rs. 229,510 from Rs. 229,767, while the price of 10 grams of 22 carat gold reduced to Rs. 210,384 from Rs. 210,620, according to the All Sindh Sarafa Jewellers Association.

The prices of per tola and ten-gram silver remained constant at Rs.2,950 and Rs.2,529.14, respectively.

The Association reported a decline in the international gold price by $18, falling from $2,587 to $2,569.

On September 16, gold prices in Pakistan continued to rise, reflecting the increase in the international market, as reported by the All-Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association (APGJSA).

The local market witnessed a surge in the price of gold per tola, increasing by Rs1,700 to reach Rs268,000. Likewise, 10-gram gold was transacted at Rs229,767 following a rise of Rs1,458.

Simultaneously, the global rate was noted at $2,587 per ounce, while silver prices remained consistent at Rs2,950 per tola.

Continue Reading

Latest News

Prior to the Lahore demonstration, PTI seeks LHC against arrests.

Published

on

By

The petition requesting protection against the arrests of its workers and leaders prior to the event set for September 21 was submitted by Sheikh Imtiaz and Yasir Gillani.

The petition asserted that law enforcement is apprehending party members throughout Punjab, infringing upon their fundamental right to assemble for a rally.

The petitioners sought a court order to compel the authorities to cease arrests and for the march to occur peacefully.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is set to have a demonstration in Lahore on September 21.

Previously, multiple PTI MNAs, including party chairman Barrister Gohar, were apprehended by Islamabad police subsequent to the Sangjani demonstration in Islamabad.

Barrister Gohar and Sher Afzal Marwat were apprehended outside, while Zain Qureshi and Sheikh Waqas Akram were detained within the Parliament House.

Furthermore, law enforcement apprehended Owais Ahmed Chatha, Syed Shah Ahmed, Sahibzada Hamid Raza of the Sunni Ittehad Council, Yousaf Khan, Maulana Naseem Shah, and Ahmed Shah Khattak.

Sources indicated that Speaker of the National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq permitted the detention of PTI Members of the National Assembly outside the premises of the house. The situation occurred after police submitted a copy of the FIR filed against the PTI legislators for breaching SOPs during the public protest on September 8.

Furthermore, three complaints have been filed in Islamabad under the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill, alleging breaches of the event’s NOC. The FIR identifies 28 individuals, including PTI officials Barrister Gohar Ali, Sher Afzal Marwat, Shoaib Shaheen, Omar Gul, Zartaj Gul, Aamir Mughal, Seemabia Tahir, and Raja Basharat.

Continue Reading

Trending