Death Toll From Blast In Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province Rises To 40 - Reports

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st July, 2023) The death toll from a blast at a convention of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) party in the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has increased to 40, Pakistani broadcaster Geo tv reported on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, media reported about 35 dead and over 200 injured. The explosion occurred at around 4:00 p.m. local time (11:00 GMT) in the Khar Bajaur Tehsil area of the province. Police confirmed that the blast was a terrorist act.

Former Pakistani Prime Minister and leader of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party Imran Khan condemned the suicide attack and called on the authorities to reconsider their priorities, namely to direct the attention and resources of the country to the fight against terrorism.

JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah reportedly condemned the blast, noting that he missed the convention due to some personal commitments. Hamdullah also called the incident an act of "terrorism," adding that the blast was a deliberate attack on humanity.