A suicide
bomber killed at least 65 people and injured more than 280
others, mostly women and children, at a public park in the
Pakistani city of Lahore on Sunday, striking at the heart of
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's political base of Punjab.
The blast occurred in the parking area of Gulshan-e-Iqbal
Park, a few feet away from children's swings.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the
blast, which occurred in a busy residential area during the
Easter holiday weekend. Police said it was not clear
whether the attack had deliberately targeted mainly Muslim
Pakistan's small Christian minority.
Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation of 190 million people, is
plagued by a Taliban insurgency, criminal gangs and
sectarian violence. Punjab is its biggest and wealthiest
province.
Eyewitnesses said they saw body parts strewn across the
parking lot once the dust had settled after the blast.
"When the blast occurred, the flames were so high they
reached above the trees and I saw bodies flying in the air,"
said Hasan Imran, 30, a resident who had come to
Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park for a walk.
Salman Rafique, a health adviser for the Punjab provincial
government, put the death toll at least 60 people.
"There are more than 280 injured people," Rafique said.
"Many are in operation theaters now being treated and we
fear that the death toll may climb considerably."
Credit : reuters.com
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