Daily Times

PESHAWAR: A bomb exploded during Friday prayer at a mosque in Qissa Khwani market in the Kocha Risaldar neighbourhood of Peshawar, killing at least 30 people and injuring more than 50 others.

The injured are being rushed to Lady Reading Hospital by emergency crews, who are assisted by homeowners and neighbours who are transferring the injured on their motorcycles and cars.

The area has been blocked off by police and security teams, who have begun collecting evidence.

According to locals, the area has a number of markets and is usually packed around the time of Friday prayers.

The condition of ten injured people is critical, spokeswoman for Lady Reading Hospital told.

According to a tweet by the Peshawar CCPO account, evidence has been collected from the site, adding it was too early to say anything about the nature of the blast.

There was chaos at Lady Reading Hospital Emergency department as doctors struggled to move the many wounded into operating theatres. The hospital has been put on red alert, the spokesperson added.

The area has a number of markets and is usually packed around the time of Friday prayers, said locals.

Prime Minister Imran Khan strongly condemned the attack and directed provision of immediate medical treatment to the injured, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement.

President Dr Arif Alvi condemned the incident and expressed grief over the precious lives lost. He expressed sympathy with the families of the departed and also prayed for the recovery of the injured.

Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with the families of the deceased and injured.

Reacting to the Peshawar blast, he said that there was no threat alert issued for the attack. He termed the attack “a bid to destablise Pakistan under a planned conspiracy.”

He also added that some foreign forces are trying to ruin the peace in Pakistan.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that the Peshawar incident is a part of a “larger conspiracy”. “We have fought against such conspiracies in the past. God willing the enemies of Pakistan will continue to fail.

PML-N President and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif paid condolences to the families of those martyred in the attack. “Words can’t adequately condemn the sheer brutality. Terrorism continues to remain our foremost national challenge,” he tweeted.

Peshawar Operations SSP also said that the explosion seemed to be a suicide attack.

(More to follow)