PESHAWAR: Sixteen persons were killed including ten police officials when a suicide bomber blew up his explosive?laden vehicle at a security check post in Hari Chand area in Charsadda district on Wednesday. Among the deceased included DSP Tangi, Bahadar Khan, SHO Mandani Police Station, Jehangir Khan and ASI, Qayyum, said District Police Officer (DPO) Charsadda, Muhammad Riaz.

He said the suicide bomber rammed his explosive packed vehicle into the check post at Hari Chand causing huge explosion which resulted in the death of sixteen people and injuries to several others. At the time of attack, police had made Nakabandi and several security officials were present on the occasion, he added. He said that the attack might be retaliation for killing of a suicide bomber by Charsadda police a few days ago.

The suicide attacker was gunned down by SHO Jehangir Khan when the bomber was on his way to blew himself up at a public gathering being addressed by Provincial President of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)S, Sikander Sherpao in Charsadda, the DPO said.

Soon after the incident, Police and rescue teams reached the site of the blast and evacuated the injured to hospitals for treatment. Emergency has been declared at all the hospitals in Charsadda and Peshawar districts for providing medical cover to the injured. The DPO said that the death toll may rise because condition of some of the injured is critical.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani strongly condemned the suicide attack at a check post in Charsadda. In their separate messages, the President and Prime Minister vowed that the perpetrators of such a heinous crime would be brought to justice. They directed the concerned authorities to investigate into the matter. They ordered the provincial government to provide best medical treatment to the injured of the blast.

President Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani condoled with the families of those who lost their lives in the suicide attack. They prayed to Allah Almighty to rest the departed souls in eternal peace and grant courage to the bereaved families to bear the irreparable loss with equanimity.-APP

PESHAWAR: At least five persons including two policemen and a suicide bomber were killed and 12 others injured in a suicide bomb blast outside the hujra of ANP Chief Asfandyar Wali Khan at Wali Bagh in Charsadda on Thursday. People in a large number were coming to greet Eid to chief Awami National Party (ANP) Asfandyar Wali Khan during celebrations on the second day of Eid-ul-Fitr when the incident happened, police officials said.

SP Operation Charsadda Riaz Khan told reporters that five persons including two policemen were killed and 12 others injured when the suicide attacker detonated himself close to the hujra of Asfandyar Wali Khan. The suicide bomber was also killed on the spot, he added. According to an eye witnesses, a suicide bomber tried to enter the hujra of Asfandyar Wali but the security guards opened fire at him and averted his attempt on which he exploded himself.

SP Operation Charsadda Riaz Khan said that he was with Asfandyar Wali Khan when the suicide bomber tried to enter the hujra. “We were around 200 meters away from the blast spot,” he added. The SP said police had already taken precaution measures to foil any terrorism act. “The target was Asfandyar Wali but he is safe,” NWFP Information Minister Mian Iftikhar told reporters.

Mian Iftikhar Hussain has strongly condemned the assassination attempt on ANP Chief Asfandyar Wali and termed it as ‘an act of terrorism.’He said the entire leadership of ANP has received life threats from terrorists for pursuing the national policy in the war against terrorism. The Minister said terrorists wanted to create unrest and destabilize the country.

He said such cowardly acts could not deter the government of its duty to flush out these elements from the country. NWFP Inspector General Police Malik Naveed told that guards shot the bomber before he blew himself up. He said that the suicide bomber tried to pass from the security scanner avoiding a physical search and two security guards grabbed him but he tried to get away. The IGP said that police and FIA teams would soon start investigation.

Police had made strict security arrangements and that is why the attacker could not cause more damage or casualties, he added. The deceased persons were identified as Senior Vice President of ANP Bunair chapter Shams-ul-Zaman, Riaz Amin s/o Noor Muhammad, Wali Bagh Gunman, Shabir and Fazal Ghani, a bank manager.

The injured persons included Fazalur Rehman s/o Mir Akbar Tangi, Tahseenullah s/o Samiullah Babara, Sajid s/o Amir Sultan Buner, Habibullah s/o Muhammad Azeem Quetta, Amir Sultan s/o Muhammad Ghani Buner, Khusdil s/o Abdur Rauf Utmanzai, Masood s/o Daud Parag, Bakhtiar s/o Haider Khan Charsadda, Inayatullah s/o Fariq Parag, policemen Amir Hussain Charsadda, Naveed and Hilal. All the injured persons were immediately shifted to District Headquarters Hospital Charsadda while the two serious injured were admitted to Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar.

President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the suicidal attack on Awami National Party (ANP) Chief Asfandyar Wali in the strongest terms, which took place Thursday evening in his Hujra at Wali Bagh near Charsada. Speaking to the ANP Chief by telephone, the President expressed his gratitude to Allah Almighty that the veteran politician and coalition partner Asfandyar Wali is safe and sound in this coward attack.

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has strongly condemned the suicide attack on ANP leader Asfandyar Wali Khan in Charsadda. Talking to the media persons here at the local Circuit House on Thursday he said the terrorists do not care about religion and traditions.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Ms. Sherry Rehman on Thursday strongly condemned the bomb blast at Wali Bagh, Charsadda. In a statement here, the Minister said that such kind of attacks are meant to destroy the peace in the country and government will bring the perpetrators of these acts to justice.

While Chief of ANP Asfandyar Wali Khan here on Thursday made it clear that his party would not change its stand and no body would be allowed to challenge the writ of the government. Asfandyar Wali said this while talking with journalists at Wali Bagh Charsadda after the suicide attack, which occurred in his hujra.

“We stand for this soil and would die for this soil,Every worker of ANP would fight against terrorism and religious fundamentalism in the country”

He said that such cowardly acts could not daunt the government of its duty to eliminate these elements from the country. The ANP chief said that terrorists wanted to create unrest and anarchy in the country but government would foil such designs of the militants.

Input from Agencies