A Pakistani provincial minister survived a suicide bombing which killed
at least three people and injured more than a dozen at the gates of a
packed sports stadium in Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan's North West
Frontier Province (NWFP) on Tuesday, officials said.
The blast occurred immediately after the conclusion of three-day
inter-provincial games at Qayyum Sports Stadium, District Coordination
Officer Sahebzada Anees told reporters at the scene.
"A suicide bomber tried to enter the stadium and when stopped by
the policemen, he blew himself up," provincial police chief Malik
Naveed said.
Apparently, the target of the attack was senior provincial minister
Bashir Ahmed Bilour, who was leaving the stadium as the suicide bombing
took place.
"I am safe, but I am sad for my two guards who were wounded in the
attack and those people who lost their lives," Bilour said. He vowed
not to be frightened by the attack.
According to the officials, some 1,200 players and officials and
25,000 to 30,000 spectators were at the statium at the time of the
attack. The husband of a female player was among those killed.
Bilour is from the liberal and secular Awami National Party (ANP)
that defeated Islamist parties in NWFP in February 18 elections and is
leading the fight against Islamic militancy in the province.
The party, which previously followed communist ideology, opposed
Jihad against Soviet occupation in Afghanistan in late 1970s and 1980s,
is currently believed to be following pro-US policies in the region.
Initially, its leadership tried to negotiate with the Taliban,
particularly in the restive Swat valley, where an armed campaign was
launched by a radical cleric and thousands of his followers to enforce
Islamic law or sharia in the region in late 2007.
But the talks broke out soon and a major offensive was launched to quell the rebellion.
ANP head, Asfand Yar Wali, survived a suicide bombing on October 2.
Immediately afterwards, he promised to stand against the terrorists to
save "the motherland," but at present he is staying in Britain for
security concerns.
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