At least 35 killed in Pakistani explosion during political rally

A powerful bomb has killed at least 35 people in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, local authorities say.

The explosion ripped through a rally by supporters of a hard-line cleric and political leader in the country’s northwestern Bajur district that borders Afghanistan.

Senior police officer Nazir Khan said the workers’ convention of Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s Jamiat Ulema Islam party was taking place on the outskirts of Khar when the explosion took place.

He said some of the wounded were taken to the city’s main hospital in critical condition and the death toll could increase.

Rehman is considered to be a pro-Taliban cleric and his political party is part of the coalition government in Islamabad.

It is not known whether Rehman was present. Meetings are being organised across the country to mobilise supporters for the coming elections.

More to follow…