Massacre at a funeral

• KP MPA among 28 killed in suicide bombing at funeral prayers in Mardan

A sitting member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, Imran Mohmand, was among 28 people killed in a tragic suicide attack that ripped through participants of a funeral in Shergarh town of Mardan on Tuesday.

More than 50 other people were left injured in the attack carried out on the funeral prayers of Haji Abdullah, a local businessman who was shot dead by unidentified assailants a day ago.

JUI-F leader Maulana Muhammad Qasim was leading the prayers but escaped with his life.

Doctors at hospitals in Peshawar, Mardan and Takht Bhayee said the condition of several among the injured was critical, raising fears that the death toll could rise.

Police said a suicide bomber blew himself up using an explosives-packed jacket when dozens of people were offering the funeral prayers.

Around 15 people were killed on the spot, while the rest succumbed to injuries later.

Beside others, a number of high-profile politicians, businessmen and social figures were also present in the prayers. Police said MPA Imran Mohmand was the target of the suicide bomber.

Mohmand was elected to the assembly as an independent candidate and had been facing threats since long.

He even survived an attack on one of his campaign rallies in his native Jalala town of Mardan.

Police officials said around eight kilogrammes of explosives were used in the attack. A petrol station, a number of houses and other buildings and dozens of vehicles in the surrounding were also damaged.

Mohmand has become the second MPA from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to become victim of terrorists.

About two weeks ago, Farid Khan, a PTI MPA, was shot dead by assailants in Hangu.

Elected as an Independent MPA from Mardan in 2013 general elections, Imran Mohmand had announced joining the PTI, but later maintained his independent identity in the assembly.

About two days ago, he met ANP leaders who offered him to rejoin the party.

Mohmand had accepted the offer and was planning to announce his rejoining the ANP in a couple of days. Before contesting 2013 polls as an independent candidate, Imran was an active stalwart of the ANP, which has since long been at loggerheads with militants from the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

KP Information Minister Shaukat Yousuzai said the bomber arrived on foot and blew himself up near Mohmand.

The minister announced Rs 300,000 for families of the deceased and a hundred thousand rupees for each injured.

President Asif Ali Zardari, PTI Chairman Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif condemned the blast and condoled with the families of the deceased.