News Desk:
Twin suicide bombings claimed 100 lives at the Police Lines Peshawar on Monday, 30. Jan. 2023. Police sources said two suicide bombers blew themselves up inside a mosque in the police line. The attack left 157 injured. The injured were rushed to Lady Reading’s Hospital for medical treatment.
An emergency was imposed in the hospital to provide medical treatment to the injured by the blasts that rocked the Peshawar police lines area. Speaking to the media, Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Peshawar Muhammad Ijaz Khan said that the roof of the mosque collapsed after the blast. “A number of jawans are still stuck under the rubble and rescuers are trying to pull them out.”
“The smell of explosives has been detected but it is too early to say anything substantial,” he said.
Khan said between 300 to 400 police officials were present in the area at the time of the blast. “It is apparent that a security lapse occurred,” the CCPO told the media. He added that the bodies and injured persons have been moved to the LRH.
On Monday, 59 people, mostly police officials, were martyred and over 150 were injured after an explosion ripped through a mosque in Peshawar’s Red Zone area. The powerful blast blew away the wall of the prayer hall and an inner roof.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, meanwhile, called on all political forces to unite against anti-state elements in the aftermath of the attack.
“Through their despicable actions, terrorists want to spread fear and paranoia among the masses and reverse our hard-earned gains against terrorism and militancy. My message to all political forces is one of unity against anti-Pakistan elements. We can fight our political fights later.”
Police say it was a ‘suicide bomber’, constitute JIT to probe attack
In a media briefing at the Police Lines on Tuesday afternoon, KP Inspector General (IG) Mauzzam Jah Ansari said that the most pertinent question at the moment was how a “suicide bomber” was able to enter Police Lines and go to the mosque.
He said that there was no “central command” at the Police Lines and the checking mechanism was limited to the gate.
“There are canteens present, some construction work was also ongoing. Somehow [explosive] material was brought here in small quantities over a period of time.” He said that the premises housed a complaint centre due to which the general public was coming and going.
Funeral prayers for police martyrs offered
Separately, funeral prayers for six policemen, including deputy superintendent of police Arab Nawaz and Ismatullah, were offered earlier today at the Police Lines area.
On Monday night, collective funeral prayers for 27 police martyrs were offered in Peshawar’s Police Lines area with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Chief Mauzzam Jah Ansari, army officers and officials of civil administration in attendance.
Day of mourning in KP
On Monday night, KP Caretaker Chief Minister Muhammad Azam Khan announced a day of mourning across the province today to condemn the deadliest attack of the year.
“The national flag will be at half-mast across the province,” he said, adding that the government shared the grief of the martyrs’ families.
Khan further assured the aggrieved families that the provincial government would not leave them alone amid testing times in the aftermath of the tragedy.
