Suicide attack kills senior minister Bilour, eight others in Peshawar
Rescue workers collect evidence at the suicide attack site in Peshawar on December 22, 2012. – Photo by AFP
PESHAWAR: Senior provincial minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour was among nine people killed Saturday after a Pakistani Taliban bomber blew himself up in a meeting of the Awami National Party (ANP) in Peshawar, the capital of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Police and hospital officials confirmed that at least eight other people , including a police SHO, Bilour’s personal secretary, and ANP workers, were also killed in the blast in the Dhaki Nalbandi area near the busy Qissa Khwani Bazaar.
Bilour, the second most senior member of the provincial Cabinet, was critically wounded with injuries to the chest and stomach and was being treated in the operation theatre, a senior hospital official had earlier confirmed before senior minister passed away.
Bilour had “wounds to the chest and stomach. We tried our best to save his life” but he died during surgery, Arshad Javed, a senior doctor at the hospital told news agency AFP.
According to details, the blast took place when senior leader Bilour along with the provincial leadership and workers of the ANP, which is the largest and the ruling party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, had gathered for a party meeting.
Bomb squad experts said the suicide bomber detonated his explosives when the meeting was at its peak.
“The suicide bomber walked into the house where the meeting was taking place and detonated his vest,” Shafqat Malik, chief of the bomb disposal squad, told AFP.
Zahidullah, 30, a shopkeeper in the area, said he was standing to Bilour’s rear when the bomber struck.
“The meeting was about to finish when I heard a noise and soon afterwards I saw a blue flame and then the blast hit,” he told AFP.
Over 18 people were also wounded in the blast, hospital officials confirmed.
Speaking to Dawn.com from an undisclosed location, a spokesman for the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Ehsanullah Ehsan, claimed responsibility for the blast and Bilour’s assassination.
“We claim responsibility for killing Bashir Ahmed Bilour. It is revenge for the martyrdom of our elder Sheikh Naseeb Khan,” TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told AFP.
Sheikh Naseeb Khan was a teacher at a madrassa where many Pakistani Taliban members were educated.
The bombing follows last week’s attack on Peshawar airport, when nine people including five attackers died in a car bomb, rocket and gun attack.
Earlier this month, the Pakistani Taliban had attacked an ANP rally in Charsadda scheduled to be addressed by ANP Chief Asfand Yar Wali Khan.
The Taliban spokesman had vowed to intensify attacks against political gatherings of “the secular ANP and MQM”, the biggest political party in Karachi, Pakistan’s commercial capital.
Spokesman Ehsan had said the ANP and MQM would be on their hit-list because of their secular views and their enmity towards the Taliban.
Mian Iftikhar Hussain, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa information minister and a member of the ANP, said both he and Bilour had repeatedly received threats from militants. He condemned the attack and said the government needed to intensify its battle against the Taliban.
“Terrorism has engulfed our whole society,” said Hussain. “They are targeting our bases, our mosques, our bazars, public meetings and our security checkpoints.”
Saturday’s attack by the TTP comes ahead of general elections in Pakistan expected in the spring.
We salute you martyr Bilour, you were against devil forces,tabliban. Shame on Imran khan,Jamat-e-Islami, JUI and all supports of Taliblan, you and your friends are great freedom fighter against devils.
100% agree with you.
200% agree with your Salute and Shame but will you plz provide a solution to this problem.
Pakistan has become a security state. It is often said that the common man is not safe, but check the casualties over the past half decade and we will find that many brave leaders have been consumed by the scourge of violence. Their is no direct method to counter this menace, we will have to educate ourselves in a way that society is liberated from the evils of individual and social vices. May Allah grant the departed souls a place in the eternal abode.
Insanity and sadness are two words which come to mind.
If you do not care about the Taliban Menace, It is going to do this again and again. Very sad news.
When will the leaders of Pakistan realize that these terrorists will one day strike even at them. By looking the other way, while thousands of innocent men women and children are slaughtered, every day by these butchers, is only going to thin theeir door step one day no matter what security you surround yourself with. A nuclear power, cannot control a band of thugs within its borders. No wonder the world has no faith in our country. Very sad and ashamed.
Army is doing the job, unfortunately their is no writ of the government.
Army created them in the first place, in the name of religion and national security!
what ever i post , though i am deeply interested in the well bieng of pakistan , majority of the the time my posts get with held at DAWN , some how they dont like my comments may be because i find fault fith govt always ,the present scenario in pakistan calls for some one at top of the govt who can clearlry think and decide about terror and it’s affialiates , no two things , mind you , time is running out , this country will be in shambles soon if this problem is not adressed immediately, them immediately handle economy and so others
Pakistan is reaping what it planted years ago hatred and terrorism. Now the monster is eating up its master.
we want Army operation in North Waziristan, go Army kill them in their safe havens rid us of this menace with an iron hand, we are with you, enough is enough, rest in peace mr. bilour.
Establishment has created this monster and is unable to tackle it now. Pakistani civilians, as always are paying the price.
One more time terrorists hit stability of our country, one more time they are successful in their evil aims. Our politicians must stop these selfish power games and approach towards conclusive end of this war on terrorism without wasting more human lives.
Civilian people should be asked to leave north and south waziristan and register themselves with the government and then Missiles should be launched on that areas. They have got those modern jets and missiles when will they use it? The ground forces are not proving to be effective. We’ll have to realize that those areas are indeed heavens of the terrorists.
Indeed very sad news.Courts are mainly responsible for letting these terrorist free on pretext of insufficient evidience.In Blauchistan Army captured anti state elements and majority was set free.God bless Pakistan.
Public holiday on Monday, please.
Sad news but ashamed for the upper management. The question is, how these bomb blasters enter the city?
The police, army and check posts are every where, so how so called terrorists enter the city? And cross these Check posts?
prayers for people who got killed… very sad event…
don’t know what is government waiting for ?.Why are actions not taking against terrorist funded and supported by Pakistan,s enemies.Afghan refugees should be thrown out from Pakistan and all borders should be closed with Afghanistan.
the Taliban are in wazirstan not afghanistan
This government has no clue how to deal with these terrorists, this is yet another sad day. People need to stand up more against Taliban, they are not muslims.
Immensely sad on the incident. I dont know when the people of Pakistan would realize that it is our war and it has direct bearing on our country, people and our lives. I desire and am looking for that time when all MOLVIs, unanimously declare the suicidal attacks as HARAAM, and condemned this brutal action of these religious BUTCHERS as in human, with open heart.
Bashir Bilour was a brave man. May his soul rest in peace.
Isnt Bilour the guy who put a bounty of $100000 on the head of the so called Blasphemer from the USA? One who lives by the sword dies by the sword. RIP.
Cursed are the people who support the evil Taliban . Right now around my house 5 mosque loud speakers are blaring away all kinds of Naats (based on songs) and producing all kinds of noise . Some are exhorting the faithful to rise and implement Islam etc etc . We are a cursed nation . If we have to rise and foil this terrorism in the name of Islam then we have to come down hard on the Taliban and their supporters who use the pulpit to incite hatred . Close down the Madrasas which are terrorists nurseries . Ban the use of loud speakers use by mosque mullahs .Act like Kamal Ataturk and cleanse the society of those who misinterpret Islam and are busy creating dissension and mayhem . If we dont act now we are doomed and we will deserve that doom.
what is needed to deal with the terrorists is to encourage the general public to phone in with information. someone somewhere usually knows something, this is the way to hunt down the people who organise the attacks. once they are caught things will calm down.
very bad news. he was very brave person . May the soul rest in eternal peace. Ameen
Muzzammil
Islamabad
Very sad day. Army needs to tackle terrorist and whole nation should stand behind army. President should declare emergency and give army freedom to tackle terror problems.
The government of Pakistan is under attack. If the military does not act now there is a reason.
i agree to drastic action against those who are involved in the carnage
ya mulk ka buhat bhara nuqsan howa ha
Peshawarite. Will the the leadership of mainstream political parties show some spine and give the much needed political support to the army? Or they will continue with the politics of appeasement and expediency.
Thats what the pakistan awaam wants. I dont know what Zardari’s agenda is. It could be you leave us (terrorists) alone and let us do what we want and we leave you alone. Dont you think?
100% Agree. Pakistan don’t need democracy. It needs army’s heavy handed approach. Shame on fellow country men not to disclose the hide out of Ehsan ullah ehsan.
Even better – let the army take over. Martial law has always been better than civilian government in Pakistan. Their is more hope for peace under army that the corrupt civilian government.
I am 100% agreed but be careful with the Armے. why Army did not take appropriate action so far. Needs to identify the black sheeps within the Army before asking them to involve.
Army is not presently ruling the country . It is the parliament who has to tell the Army to go whole hog against these Talibans . Unfortunately our leaders are cowards and cannot or will not unite on this one point agenda of eliminating Taliban. If they do and tell the Army the Army will clean up the mess in FATA and Karachi like they did in Swat.
Brother u know what happened the last time we had Military ruler , they are more power hungry then civilian govt.
Army created these monsters!