Suicide bombing at Pakistan lawmaker’s office kills 7

At least seven people were killed and several injured Wednesday in Pakistan when a suicide bomber attacked the political office of a parliament member from ruling party PML-N in the southern district of Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab province.

District Police Officer Ghulam Mubashir Maiken confirmed the suicide bombing. “The attacker reached the political office of Amjad Khosa, member National Assembly of Pakistan … and blew himself up, killing seven including some local politicians.” He said there was no threat to Khosa, who was not in the office at the time, from any terrorist organization.

Saleem Buzdar, a journalist based in the district who covered the blast, said that according to eyewitnesses a young man in his early twenties with longish hair came to Khosa’s office Wednesday morning and sat in a group of people for a few minutes before blowing himself up at 11:45 a.m. “Seven out of nine people sitting in that group died, while two are seriously injured,” Buzdar said. “The political office of the parliamentarian caught fire … and smoke was visible in the air.”

Khosa was in Islamabad when the attack happened, Buzdar said. “If he would have been at his political office, the death toll could be higher as the number of people present at his office could be many times more.”

Sahi is a special correspondent.