Investigators inspect the site of explosion inside a mosque in Peshawar on March 9, 2013. PHOTO: MUHAMMAD IQBAL/EXPRESS
The blast was in the Jamia Chishtia mosque. The walls of the mosque and nearby houses were damaged due to the blast. The bazaar immediately shutdown after the blast.
Express News correspondent Ehtisham Bashir reported that people were going to the mosque for Zuhr prayers when the blast took place.
Meanwhile, Express News correspondent Jahangir Shahzad quoted an eye witness that there were as many as 35 people praying in the mosque when the bomb went off. Shahzad added that the force of the blast had left cracks in the walls of the mosque.
Rescue teams and police have arrived at the site. The bomb disposal squad before clearing the site said that initial investigations had suggested explosive materials weighing between three to four kilogrammes with ball bearings was detonated through a timed device which left a crater six to seven feet deep.
An official said that 27 injured were brought to the Lady Reading hospital and two of them were in critical condition. At least four of those injured were children. The official added that there were no women and children among the casualties.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti condemned the attack and ordered for the injured to be given free treatment.
On October 28, 2009, a huge blast took place in Charri Koban Bazaar — the meeting point of Meena Bazaar and Kochi Bazaar – which was mostly filled with women. The blast, the deadliest attack in the history of Peshawar, claimed around 120 lives and left more than 200 injured and traumatised for the rest of their lives.
COMMENTS (26)
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@Fedup Pakistani: Yeah right!! As we Indians are going to roll out the red carpet for you. Look somewhere else, we have enough of our own.
@Fedup Pakistani: sorry you are not allowed.Also partition is not complete till muslims are in India
@fedup Pakistani
Only if you are a sikh, Hindu or a Christian. If you are a muslim I am sure you can move to any of the OIC countries.
And those people who stood first in prayer did not know they are standing in the first row of death.RIP
Who kills shia is also responsible for killing brailwis sunnis and their mosques and tombs.
Inna Lillahi wa inna illaihi raji'oon.
Now tell me, are you sure only minorities are being attacked/killed in Pakistan?.
Now I m 100% sure it is not sectarian violence, it is something else. Whoever is behind these terrorist activates don’t want peace prevail in this part of world. But no doubt it’s also big failure of Govt. and security agencies they are unable to track them down. Army should take some serious before it's too late.
@asim: : Pathetic law and order situation
Just like fever in the body indicates illness( something wrong ) in the body similarly these bomb blasts too are the symptoms of the illness in the society. Treatment of the illness (in the society) is to be made . With correct diagnosis once sickness is treated well the symptoms( bomb blasts) will automatically vanish. permanently and not before.
@Umer: Dont try to make it an Ethnic issue. The mosque attacked belong from Brelvi sect and just ask Any Peshawarite what they used to call to this mosque and they will tell you that this mosque belong to Kharaan and Daal Khoris ( A deorgatory term for Punjabis / Hindkos ) in Peshwar. So who was attacked in this mosque is Very Obvious. So actually before putting blame on Punjab and praying that attacks should happen in Punjab first look into your own mirror of Hatred and Religious Bigotry in your provinces. In the past MMA and JUI have never been able to win a single Seat in Punjabi Heartland and this trend will continue and Punjabis are the most tolerant and that is why 4 percent of Punjabis are Christians and around 2 percent now are Ahmedis and they are coexisting with others and the most diverse in terms of Religious thoughts. I even met many followers of Deism in Lahore but still people have no problem with them and that is due to the fact that Punjabis in general are tolerant and they dont care what the other provinces are trying to imply due to implied ethnic hatred and nothing else.
@qadir:
Brailvi Sunnis, Be Specific Bro...
.....and Nawaz and Fazlu Rehman still wants to talk with these criminals ????
RIP ......................
democracy is the best revenge !!! long live democracy in Pakistan.
Where is Molana Fazul ur Rehman, how will he justify his negotiations now...????
I m wondering y media is not saying 4 Sunni dies?????
And they say we want peace talks but on our own terms and conditions and without cease fire.All those in favor of so called peace talks are also as much responsible for these barbaric incidents as the TTP itself is.Best of luck with the peace initiatives.
First Baluchistan, then Sindh then Pakhtoonkhuwa. Why not in Punjab? Something to think about.
Now Bralvis came under attack: I do not know who is Muslim in this country
Let me guess; terrorists allegedly supported by a certain province’s government acting in other provinces to give the impression of lawlessness for elections reasons?
I think this thing shud b highlighted that the blast occurred in sunni(barelvi) mosque... Sunnis(barelvis) are also labelled as 'mushrik' n 'kaafir' by the takfiris
Pathetic law and order situation