Pakistan: 20 killed, 50 injured in blast during political party meeting

Digital Desk: At least 20 people were killed and around 50 others were injured in a blast at a political party meeting in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday. The meeting was organized in the Bajaur district by Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F).

Maulana Ziaullah Jan, a prominent JUI-F leader in Khar, was also killed in the blast, Bajaur District Emergency Officer, Saad Khan stated.

He further confirmed the number of injuries and said that the injured are being shifted to hospitals in Peshawar and Timergera.

Speaking on Geo News after the incident, JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah said that he had skipped the convention due to personal commitments, although he was invited. He stated that he has received reports of the deaths of roughly 10-12 of his party's members, with several more injured.

"I strongly condemn the blast and want to give a message to the people behind it that this is not jihad but terrorism," the JUI-F leader was quoted as saying, as he called the incident "an attack on humanity and Bajaur".

He demanded an investigation into the incident, noting that his party, JUI-F, had faced similar attacks. "This has occurred before; one of our employees was targeted. We spoke out about it in Parliament, but no action was taken." 

Several other Pakistani officials have joined Hamdullah in denouncing the attack and offering condolences to the grieving families of the victims.