ANP election rally suicide attack death toll rises to 25
The News,February 9, 2008
CHARSADDA: A suspected suicide blast ripped through an opposition election rally in northwestern Pakistan on Saturday, killing at least 25 people and wounding 35 others, reports said.
The attack happened at a rally of the Awami National Party (ANP), an ethnic Pashtun nationalist party, in the town of Charsadda in troubled North West Frontier Province, they said.
The bombing has further raised fears for the security of general elections on February 18, which have already been delayed by the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto at a rally in December.
Interior Minister Hamid Nawaz said the attack was likely carried out by a suicide bomber. "Yes, it was most probably a suicide attack. It was close to the stage but none of the ANP leaders there were hurt," Nawaz said.
A suicide bombing at a mosque in Charsadda belonging to former interior minister Aftab Sherpao on December 21 killed at least 54 people.
Election rallies have been sparse since Bhutto's death in a suicide bomb and gun attack in Rawalpindi and after the government issued a "security advisory" for candidates to avoid big gatherings.
Even the former ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q party, which backs President Pervez Musharraf, has kept a relatively low profile.
Violence blamed on Islamist militants has continued since Benazir Bhutto's death, with attacks and suicide bombings claiming more than 70 lives already this year.
Six people were killed in a suicide attack on an army bus in Rawalpindi on Monday. More than 800 people died in similar attacks in 2007, Pakistan's bloodiest ever year in terms of extremist violence.
To see ANP's Official website, click here
ANP accuses Goverment for role in the attack and calls it 'target-killing' - BBC (Urdu)
4 comments:
I heard the sad news this AM. I have comrades running for office with the PPP.
Good blog.
Charsadda is the village of Bacha Khan., i.e. Frontier Gandhi Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan... the tallest leader of the Indian Freedom Struggle, literally.
Gandhi ji ditched Bacha Khan who was against Partition of India... but Gandhi ji agreed to the Partition of India, cuz he knew, that was the only way to have a Hindu India. The price of Pakistan was TOO LITTLE, to gain Hindu India.
First Benazir Bhutto was eliminated by the Panjabi lobby of military/ISI/bureaucrats, and now this ugly incident at Charsadda.
Pakistan is in its last days. Believe me, i see the country disintegrating very soon.
ANP has accused Pakistani agencies for this coward act of terrorism.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/pakistan/story/2008/02/080210_charsadda_followup_zs.shtml
Its mind boggling, where is the arm and ammo comming from? After all the bombing and US presence in AFganistan for last 7 years. Its either US CIA suppling the terrorist or Pakistani Agenies? My theory is that its not Pakistani agencies, who wants to destroy their own house. Rather than its US CIA supplying the Taliban with arm and ammo, because if Taliban and Alkaida is destroyed compleatly. Who will be our enemy? who will be fightig with, what will happen to our hugh arm industry? and the people who work for the US Arm supplies industries will be jobless hence the owners penniless. So keep the Talibans and Alkaida alive. Our jobs and profits will be secured for a long time.
Post a Comment