ANP Leader Haroon Bilour among 12 killed in Peshawar suicide blast

A suicide bomber blew himself up at an anti-Taliban political party’s rally in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday, killing 12 other people, including a candidate in July 25 elections, police said.

News Desk-A suicide bomber blew himself up at an anti-Taliban political party’s rally in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday, killing 12 other people, including a candidate in July 25 elections, police said.

The attack on a meeting of the Awami National Party (ANP) in Peshawar also injured nearly 50 others, city police chief Jamil Qazi said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, the first major pre-election violence.

The blast took place when Haroon Bilour, who was contesting elections from the PK-78 constituency, arrived at the site where the ANP workers had gathered for a corner meeting. Bilour suffered serious injuries and was shifted to the hospital where he succumbed to his wounds.

“According to our initial investigation, it was a suicide attack and Haroon Bilour… was the target,” AIG Shafqat Malik told AFP.

Haroon was son of Bashir Ahmed Bilour, a senior ANP figure who was himself martyred in a suicide blast in Peshawar in 2012.

He was ANP's provincial information secretary.

Haroon Bilour’s 16-year old son, Daniyal, who was accompanying his father in the gathering, was also among the injured.

The bodies and injured were taken to Lady Reading hospital and CMH Peshawar. The Bomb Disposal Squad confirmed that it was a suicide bomb.