A bomb went off at an event held by supporters of Maulana Fazlur Rehman, leader of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party. It is part of Pakistan’s coalition government.
At least 44 people have been killed in an explosion at a political rally in northwestern Pakistan.
The blast happened on the outskirts of Khar, the capital of Bajour district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, police said.
Nearly 200 people, including children, were also injured when the suicide bombing went off at a rally organised by supporters of hardline cleric and political party leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
Some of those seriously wounded were airlifted to a hospital in the provincial capital, Peshawar.
Pictures from the scene also showed people being put into ambulances and the blast area being cordoned off, with emergencies declared at local hospitals.
Local party official among dead
One of the dead is the local leader of Mr Rehman’s Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl party, Maulana Ziaullah.
Mr Rehman himself was not in attendance at the rally, officials said.
His Islamist party is part of Pakistan’s coalition government and he also leads the Pakistan Democratic Movement, which united opposition parties against the then prime minister Imran Khan.
The group formed in September 2020 in a bid to oust Mr Khan, succeeding via a no-confidence vote last year.
Sunday afternoon’s event came as parties prepare for a general election later this year.
Prime Minister Shabaz Sharif condemned the attack as being “against the democratic system”.