It was another Sunday of bloodbath for Pakistanis as multiple bombings in Peshawar and Quetta killed at least 45 people in continued spate of violence across the country.
At least 17 people, including three children, were killed and more than 46 injured in a remote control bomb blast near Peshawar’s Badaber police station targeting a convoy of security vehicles, while twin bombings in Quetta close to an imambargah in HazaraTown claimed at least 28 lives.
Scores were left injured in the massive attack in Quetta targeting the already troubled Hazara Shia minority.
According to reports from Peshawar, LadyReadingHospital sources confirmed 17 dead and at least 45 injuries. The dead included a woman and four children, sources said.
Among those injured, 42 were civilians and three were FC personnel.
Peshawar Deputy Commissioner Jawed Marwat put the toll at 16.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Ehsan Ghani also confirmed the attack and the resulting deaths.
The bomb had been planted in an abandoned car close to the Badaber police station and was detonated when a security convoy passed along the area.
Several other vehicles and shops in the surroundings were also destroyed in the attack.
An official of the Bomb Disposal Squad said around 40-50 kilogrammes of explosives were used to carry out the attack.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the bombing.
They expressed heartfelt sympathies with the bereaved families.
Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan also condemned the blast and asked the KP inspector general to submit a report at the earliest.
Reports from Quetta were no less heart wrenching.
At least 28 people lost their lives and more 50 were left injured in a high-intensity blast near an imambargah in Aliabad area of HazaraTown on Sunday.
Those killed included nine women and three children.
The attack once again targeted the Hazara Shia minority despite presence of heavy security and it is being feared that the death toll could mount.
The area plunged into darkness after the explosion due to disruption of power supply, making rescue efforts more arduous.
The banned outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed responsibility for the attack.
The blast occurred just minutes after dusk prayer when people were returning home from Abu Talib imambargah.
Police said the suicide bomber looked 18-19 years old and appeared to be of Uzbek origin.
“He was on a bicycle and was stopped at a security checkpost manned by youngsters of the Hazara community, but he blew himself when he was asked to stop,” said Major (r) Mir Zubair Mahmood, Capital City Police Officer.
Home and Tribal Affairs Secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani said the imambargah was the target where the suicide bomber could not reach and blew himself up when the volunteers of Hazara community guarding the security checkpost stopped him for identification.
A number of injured were shifted to provincial Sandeman hospital and later to CombinedMilitaryHospital.
Abu Baker, a spokesman for the banned Lashker-e-Jhangvi called several newspaper offices and claimed responsibility for the attack on Shia community.