At least two people have been killed and dozens more wounded after an explosion in a busy shopping district in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, police say.
The explosion took place in the Lohari Gate area, a densely packed neighbourhood consisting of small shops packed into narrow crisscrossing streets, on Thursday afternoon. Hospital officials at Lahore’s Mayo hospital, where the wounded were being treated, confirmed the death toll and said at least 26 people had been wounded in the blast.
A large number of law enforcement officials reached the incident site and cordoned the area. Commissioner Lahore stated that the injured were shifted to Mayo Hospital and five were in critical condition.
He added that more details will be shared after the forensic analysis is completed. “The bomb disposal squad has initially informed that this was a high explosive device,” the commissioner added.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has condemned the incident and expressed regret over the lives lost. He has instructed concerned authorities to provide the best medical aid to the injured and asked the Punjab government to submit a report on the incident.
Chief Minister Usman Buzdar also condemned the attack. “Those responsible for the blast will be arrested soon and brought to justice,” said CM Buzdar. He said it was a “vicious act” to sabotage the law and order of the province.
Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif condemned the incident. He said that the loss of precious lives in Anarkali, a lively and historic area of Lahore, was deeply saddening. “Innocent children and poor people were the victims of the tragedy.”
Pakistan has seen a series of small-scale attacks targeting policemen, security forces and civilians in recent weeks, after the breakdown of talks between the government and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP, also known as the Pakistani Taliban) armed group.
On Monday, a policeman was killed and two others wounded when a checkpost in the capital Islamabad came under fire from gunmen in an attack the interior minister warned may be the start of a wave of attacks. The TTP claimed responsibility for that attack in a statement sent to journalists on Tuesday.
In December, the TTP unilaterally ended a ceasefire established while those talks were ongoing, under the mediation of the Afghan Taliban.
