At least 20 people were killed on Tuesday when a loud explosion ripped through a funeral procession near Mardan in restive northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a senior police official said.
About 40 other people were also injured in the blast, said Deputy Inspector General Mardan Jaffar Khan.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) provincial lawmaker from PK-27, Imran Mohmand, who was also present during funeral prayers, was reported to be severely injured in the explosion.
Unconfirmed reports suggested the PTI lawmaker succumbed to his injuries. However, neither party representatives nor police officials have yet confirmed his exact condition.
Police said the funeral of a man named Abdullah, who was killed in a firing incident the previous day, was being held in Sher Garh, located 20 kilometres from Mardan town.
The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) Maulana Mohammad Qasim was leading the funeral prayers when the loud explosion hit the procession.
Details regarding the exact nature of the explosion were still not clear.
No militant group immediately claimed responsibility of the attack.