Car bomb kills 39 Pakistanis at rally

A car bomb tore through a crowd gathered for a rally Saturday, the final day of campaigning for Pakistan’s parliamentary elections, killing at least 39 people and injuring more than 100, authorities said.

The attack occurred in Pakistan’s northwestern tribal belt, in the town of Parachinar, a few miles from the border with Afghanistan. It was not immediately clear whether it was a suicide attack or the bomb was planted in a vehicle. Witnesses and authorities gave conflicting accounts of the incident.

The attack came after a rally at the campaign headquarters of Syed Riaz Hussain, who is affiliated with the Pakistan People’s Party. He was unhurt.

His party, led by Benazir Bhutto until her assassination Dec. 27, is considered the front-runner in Monday’s vote.

The car bomb detonated as those who had taken part in the rally were bunched closely, dancing to celebratory drumbeats.

“I saw a fireball as the vehicle exploded,” witness Mohammed Afzal said.

Hospitals in Parachinar, inundated by the wounded, sent the worst cases to the provincial capital, Peshawar, for treatment.

Scores of the injured were reported to be in critical condition, and morgue officials said many of the dead were burned or mutilated beyond recognition.

A car bomb went off in almost exactly the same spot in August, killing 12 people and wounding 35.

Pakistan’s restive northwest, where many Islamic militant groups operate, has been a magnet for election violence. Dozens of people have died in attacks in the tribal areas and the North-West Frontier Province during the course of the campaign.

In southern Pakistan, police reported the arrests of three would-be suicide bombers in the city of Hyderabad. They said the men had planned to attack polling stations.

A day earlier, police in the southern port city of Karachi announced the arrests of 10 suspected militants and the seizure of a large quantity of explosives. Authorities said the suspects were planning attacks on election day.

laura.king@latimes.com

Special correspondent Ali reported from Peshawar and Times staff writer King from Islamabad.