Peshawar mosque blast toll climbs to 100 dead

F.P. Report
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government has observed one day official mourning in the province against the yesterday’s deadly suicide bombing in police line mosque that left over 100 dead and 221 injured.
Muhammad Asim, spokesman of Lady Reading Hospital said that death toll of blast raised to 100 as five more injured expired in hospital. Caretaker Chief Minister KP, Muhamamd Azam Khan and IGP KP Moazam Jah Ansari have earlier told media at blast site and later addressing police jawans at police lines said that 95 people mostly policemen were killed and 221 others injured in the yesterday suicide bombing.
Azam Khan his government has constituted a high level inquiry committee to probe blast. The committee world identify those elements who are responsible for this inhuman act. The CM said a summary for payment of compensation to the families of the deceased and injured was ready. The government was standing with blast victims in this hour of tribulation and bereaved families would be provided all kinds of facilities including financial assistance.
Police force would be equipped with modern weapons and the law and order situation of the province has been brought into the notice of the Prime Minister, he added. IGP Moazam Jah said about 10-12 kilograms explosives were used in the blast.
He said the suicide bomber blew himself up in the mosque at around 1pm during the Zohr prayers, causing the roof to come crashing down upon those who were offering the prayers at that time, which increased number of casualties. IGP Moazzam said security lapses could not be overlooked and investigations were underway to ascertain the facts. “We are checking one-month’s CCTV footage and tracking the facilitators of the bomber,” he added.
A joint investigation team (JIT) has been notified and the probe will clear everything soon, he said. “Those responsible will be identified and brought to book,” he added. Bilal Faizi, spokesman of Rescue 1122 told media that search and rescue operations in the collapsed mosque have been completed after shifting of 146 victims including 54 martyred and 94 injured besides retrieving of about 17 dead bodies from the mosque’s rubble.
Police sources said a preliminary investigation report of the explosion has been sent to Prime Minister. The evidence found at the site of the incident indicated that it was a suicide attack and its target was police. The roof tumbled down as the pillars collapsed, causing a lot of damage. The CCTV footage from the Police Lines gate and family quarters is being investigated.
There are over 2,000 policemen in the Police Lines working with eight different departments. A large number of civilians visit police lines on a daily basis where family quarters also existed besides construction work going near the blast site with workers coming in and going out every day, the IGP added. To express solidarity with the blast victims and condemn the horrific bombing, the KP government has observed one day of official mourning in the province where the national flag was kept at half mast at all government and private buildings.
The people continued to gather at the residences of the martyrs and offered Fateha with bereaved families and expressed solidarity with them. Overall a gloomy day prevailed in KP especially in Charsadda, Nowsehra, Swabi, Mardan and Peshawar from where most of the martyred cops belonged to. People of all walks of life strongly condemned the horrific bombing and visited LRH to inquire after the injured cops.
10 cops from Charsadda among martyrs: At least ten police officials hailing from Charsadda district were among those martyred in one of the deadliest suicide attacks in Peshawar that ripped through a mosque in Malik Saad Police Lines here the other day.
According to information received from Lady Reading Hospital, 10 brave sons of Charsadda have so far been identified as martyred from the dreadful blast.
These police martyrs from Charsadda were identified as Inspector Dauran Shah, Assistant Sub Inspector Rizwan Ullah, Senior Clerk Wadood Shah, Hawaldars Ashfaq, Noorul Haq, Amjad, constables Shahab Liaquat, Naseem Shah, Khalid Jan and Gul Sharaf. An atmosphere of bereavement prevailed in Charsadda district on Tuesday as 10 coffins of the sons of the soil were brought to various localities for last rituals and burial.