Punjab Home Minister Col (r) Shuja Khanzada was killed in a suicide attack at his political office in Attock’s Shadi Khan area on Sunday, Punjab government officials have confirmed. At least 15 other people were also killed along with the minister while at least 30 others are said to be critically injured and buried under the rubble of the building after the blast caused the roof of the building to collapse.
Between 50-100 people were estimated to have been in attendance at the jirga being held at Khanzada’s political office. Many of them were buried underneath the wreckage as the entire structure had been razed to the ground by the explosion.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Hazro Syed Shoukat Shah was among the dead recovered from the site. Ten other policemen who are yet to be rescued were present at the scene when the blast occurred.
Intelligence sources claimed that banned Sunni terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) has taken responsibility of the suicide attack on Khanzada. They claimed that Khanzada was under threat following the killing of LeJ chief Malik Ishaq in July.
The home minister had recently claimed that Lashkar-e-Jhangvi’s feared leader Malik Ishaq had been taken down under the National Action Plan, a statement that seemingly went unnoticed in the press and was contradictory to the police’s statement that the dreaded terror chief and his close aides, including his two sons had been killed by firing of their own colleagues during an attempt to rescue him from police custody in Muzafffarabad last month.
Shuja Khanzada was given charge of the home department in Oct 2014. He previously held positions as Provincial Minister Punjab and Advisor to the Chief Minister Punjab.
May Allah SWT bless Col Shuja and give strength to his family to bear this loss. He did not fit in this PML N gang because he was an honest and truthful person. Show me one such man in the entire Cabinet of Punjab or Islamabad? None. Allah SWT took him back to save him from any disrespect. Imagine Rana Sana the law minister and Shabaz Sharif sitting with Col Shuja Shaheed! He went with dignity and bravery. He left a message for those who need to mend their ways.
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