Pakistan Bomb Blast Kills 9 On Peshawar Bus

Impact

According to police, a bomb exploded as the passenger bus was on its way through the Matni Bazar area Saturday.

Prime Minister of Pakistan Mir Hazar Khan Khoso condemned the bomb blast, resulting into the loss of precious human lives in Pakistan.

“At least nine passengers have been killed and seven injured. Bomb disposal officials told me that it was a timed device,” Fazal Wahid, one of the police official told AFP.

The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) the hard liner religious militant organization, however, disassociated itself from the bombing.

“We have no involvement in this attack. As we said earlier, we will not be target public places where common people may be affected,” said Ehsanullah Ehsan, a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban.

The explosion waved Peshawar just day after ANP a secular nationalist party's former provincial minister, Arbab Ayub Jan survived in another attack, while he was on his way home from a public gatherning he attended.

Earlier Saturday, militants blew up election office of an independent candidate in Miranshah, the populated town of North Waziristan agency, about 300 kilometres away from Peshawar.

The attacks comes as weeks remains for the general elections in Pakistan, scheduled for May 11, raising concerns for security during the historic polls – the first time that a democratically elected government in Pakistan would hand over power to a newly elected administration.

On the other hand Tehreek Taliban Pakistan leader Hakimullah Mehsood, in a recent video message, told Pakistanis to stay away from the elections, CNN reported.

"They are intended to divide Muslims, we want the implementation of Sharia [law] and for that jihad is necessary," Mehsud was quoted as saying.

The TTP, which is separate from the Afghan Taliban, is close to Al-Qaeda.