From the Gulf Daily News:
PESHAWAR, Pakistan: More than 26 people were killed and 25 wounded, including a federal minister, in a powerful suicide blast at a political rally in northwest Pakistan yesterday.Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao had just addressed the public gathering when the bomber rushed towards the stage, setting off a huge explosion, witnesses said.
Interior ministry spokesman Brigadier Javed Cheema said five police were killed, apparently preventing the attacker from reaching Sherpao.
"Twenty-six people were killed and 25 others are wounded in the suicide attack," he said, adding that Sherpao escaped with minor injuries.
The attack took place in the town of Charsada in North West Frontier Province bordering Afghanistan.
Sherpao is staunch supporter of President Pervez Musharraf and has been a prominent figure in touting the government's achievements in the fight against terrorism.
Private TV channel footage showed the visibly shaken minister with blood on his clothes being escorted by a group of people.
Most of the men encircling Sherpao and taking him to a car also had blood on their long, white shirts.
The interior ministry said Sherpao was given first aid at a hospital in Charsada and then taken to his Peshawar residence.
A witness Gulzada said the bomber was a bearded man in his 40s.
"I was near the stage when the explosion occurred. I saw people on the stage thrown up several feet and there was screaming all around," the witness, who was also injured, said.
Gulzada said there were more than 400 people in the rally, mainly workers of Sherpao's political party.
President Pervez Musharraf, currently in Bosnia on a visit, and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz issued statements condemning the attack and vowed it would not deter Pakistan's resolute campaign to wipe out terrorism.
Police officer Jehanzib Khan said more than 15 people were killed on the spot while others died in hospital. Ambulances ferried the wounded to hospitals in Charsada, 35km northeast of provincial capital Peshawar.
Provincial police chief Sharif Virk said the head of the bomber, who appeared to be an Afghan, was found at the scene.
The border province has a large community of Afghan refugees, most living in camps in the troubled region.
NWFP, the home province of the ethnic Pashtun minister, has been through years of violence in the semi-autonomous tribal areas where Pakistani forces are battling Al Qaeda and Taliban militants.
Witness Alaf Khan said Sherpao was receiving guests from his political party when the attacker struck. "The people were garlanding the minister when all of a sudden a big explosion took place," Khan said.
Peshawar and its surrounds have been plagued by bomb attacks following President Pervez Musharraf's decision in 2001 to join a US-led war on terrorism, with a spate of suicide attacks earlier this year, including one in the capital, Islamabad.
Earlier, there was a small blast outside a cafeteria at Peshawar International Airport that broke windows, but caused no casualties. Bordering Afghanistan, the North West Frontier province is one of the most volatile regions of Pakistan.
Yep, islamists getting frantic.
Like I said before...they MUST win, or they lose everything...their power, control, their entire racket they've held for almost 1,400 years.
This is not unexpected at all.
Somebody might as well say it.
It was the israeli occupation of the arab muslim country of palestine, denying an entire nation of arab muslims the right to their historic lands, whcih they have a far older claim to then the israelis, who are all just illegal jewish settles on the country of palestine. Israel, along with the US, UK and their allies are solely responsible for the bombing and all the innocents killed; this would not have happened if they did not occupy muslim countries. Hence, US/UK/Israel/Australia/Albania/Poland, (basically Israel and all countries currently involved in the Iraq conflict), have effectively murdered 26 more innocent people in Pakiworld.
And you know, if you showed this in the college campus I live on, that would have been in all seriousness the most likely response.
Karen Strongarm and Dinesh D'Soused must be outraged.
It's a peaceful religion.
And they're only supposed to killed decadent Westerners.
Because Britney writhed too salaciously in her "Toxic" video, or something.
(It's the Jihad, stupids!)
They really are working hard on this. Officials are trying to determine the identity of the suicide bomber and actually have begun to suspect that "islamic militants" were behind this incident.
"PESHAWAR, Pakistan, April 29 (Reuters) - Investigators on Sunday attempted to identify a suicide bomber who tried to kill Pakistan's interior minister in what officials suspect may have been attack planned by Islamist militants."
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SP132915.htm
:)
Related, since it's about Paki bigwigs:
well muslims cannot contain themselve by their "religon of peace" can they. oh you troll maxwell46&2 only muslim will blame all others besides themselves, most likely it will be the joos fault.. it does not fly in reality max, better return to your islam twilight zone.
ZenaWarriorPrincess, I think you missed the tone of Maxwell46&2's comment.
Read this again:"And you know, if you showed this in the college campus I live on, that would have been in all seriousness the most likely response."
Pelayo, yes that was a hasty remark.. l am rushing too fast here in the morning...but you are right about what the brainwashed yutts of campi would think.. at least the vocal ones..
we are fortunately though many who do mature become
more aware of the lies of the left.. l know l did.one of my older brothers was a hippie of the 60's and now he is on the right of most. l laughed when he told me , you scratch the surface of a libeal you find a facists. all controling all the time.
maxwell46&2,
"Hence, US/UK/Israel/Australia/Albania/Poland, (basically Israel and all countries currently involved in the Iraq conflict), have effectively murdered 26 more innocent people in Pakiworld."
What does killing 26 people in Pakistan have to do with the Israei/Palestinian conflict? Nothing!
I suppose that killing 300 people (157 of them children) in a school in Beslan, Russia has something to do with Israel also.
Every atrocity committed by Muslims against others gets tied into the existence of Israel.
Take away the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and it won't change a thing. We're talking about Jihad against the Infidel world. Muslims don't need Israel to wage Jihad.
Islam, not Israel, is the source of terrorism in the world. Period.
Trouble in paradise...better make a run for it Naseem, all of you...
.....the terrorists continue to kill any official who dares to speak out against them...
....maybe we should be targeting those radical clerics who often hold open rallys preaching death and destruction to America...
.....smart bombs may actually be smart...