Peshawar blast kills 17 government employees

Bomb exploded inside a bus, 60 injured

A powerful blast ripped through a bus carrying government employees on Sunheri Masjid Road in Pakistan’s Peshawar city on Wednesday, killing at least 17 people and wounding around 60.

Officials said the bomb was planted in the rear portion of the bus. “Seventeen people were killed. At least 60 more were injured,” said a security official. T he bomb disposal unit personnel claimed that high-grade explosives, weighing eight kilograms were used in the attack.

Some of those killed were identified as Arshad Ali, resident of Dargai Malakand Agency; Arshad Khan, resident of Mardan; Ismail (Mardan), Mohammed Hamid (Tangi), Mohammed Inam (Mardan), Mohammed Riaz (Takhtbhai Mardan), Sattaruddin (Charsadda), Shafiq (Afghan) and Shahid (Takhtbhai Mardan).

The civil secretariat buses were also targeted earlier in Peshawar in 2012 and 2013, leading to deaths of at least 38 people.

Meanwhile, the governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, and chief minister Pervez Khattak strongly denounced the bomb blast in a bus carrying mostly government employees and termed it an act against humanity.

In their separate messages of condemnation, they said the provincial government equally shared the grief of the bereaved families and assured that perpetrators involved this inhuman act would be brought to justice very soon.

The governor said killing innocent people depicted fall of the moral of anti-state elements and now on-the-run terrorists were choosing soft targets to fulfil their evil designs.

The chief minister said those involved in this heinous act did not deserve to be called Muslims or even humans and their identity would soon be unfolded by the law enforcers. He said the government stands along with the victims’ families in this testing time and every possible support would be provided to them. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also strongly condemned the Peshawar blast. He expressed his deep grief and sorrow over loss of precious lives in the blast. Mr Sharif said the government was determined to defeat the terrorists and ensure peace in the country.