PESHAWAR: A suicide car bomber detonated his explosive laden vehicle at Pishtakharra Police Check Post – while trying to enter Peshawar cantonment – putting to death at least 12 persons including a police constable and two children and injuring almost over 25 others.

Police chief Liaquat Ali Khan has confirmed the digit of the deaths in yet another tragedy which took place in the metropolis of the North West Frontier Province [NWFP] of Pakistan on Saturday.

The police officials showed bravery by stopping the car at the check post on suspicion for search, the City Police Chief said, adding, had the bomber entered the Peshawar he would have wrecked havoc in city.

The bomber exploded himself up while he was stopped by the Police personnel at the check post for search. Prior to detonating explosive laden vehicle, the bomber had a brief chat with the policeman at the check post, the CCPO said.

The official of the Bomb Disposal Squad maintained that 50 to 60 kilogram explosive was used in the explosion.

The NWFP Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani and Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti have strongly condemned the suicide car bomb blast at Police Check Post Pishtakhara Saturday afternoon. They expressed their deep shock and sorrow over the loss of precious lives. They described the incident a highly cowardly act of terrorism.

In their separate condolence messages here Saturday, the Governor and Chief Minister said the incident itself speaks the barbaric and retrogressive mindset of the miscreants involved in such inhuman acts of extremism.

Targeting security forces and killing innocent citizens speaks the state of frustration, the elements are suffered with. Such elements, they added, are the enemies of the country and they would never succeed in their nefarious designs.

While expressing their heartfelt sympathies with members of the bereaved families, the Governor has assured that the elements involved in such heinous crimes would be brought to justice shortly. They also called upon the people to fully cooperate with the law enforcement agencies and ensure lasting peace in the area.

They also prayed for eternal peace of the departed souls, courage to the bereaved families to bear the irreparable loss with patience and early recovery of the injured. 

Provincial Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain in a statement also condemned the Pishtakharra blast in strong words and expressed the resolve that war against terror would continue till total elimination of the terrorists.

Terrorists are neither Muslim nor human beings, he said, adding, after such brutal activities by the terrorists, it has become now more necessary to crush them from their roots. No matter what price we pay for it but we will continue to hit them in their bases, he maintained.

God forbid, if we failed, these people (terrorists) would retrieve dead bodies from the graves, would lash the women and humiliate the females which would be more dangerous, Mian Iftikhar added. Defeat is no option with us we have to beat them at any cost, he remarked.

Provincial Information Minister said the example of Malakand was before us, we offered sacrifices and never succumbed to any pressure of the terrorists and with the blessing of Allah Almighty, today Malakand was safe and sound.

Mian Iftikhar who is vocal when asked by a reporter that how long the people would offer sacrifices in war on terror, replied that as long as they (terrorists) were not totally eliminated.They are targeting Peshawar because the government in the Province was fully supporting the military operation against them.

He said that Waziristan has become hub of the international terrorists who were here since long. To a question about presence of foreigners in the Tribal Belt, he asked why these elements do not Jihad in Iraq and Palestine why they have selected the land of Pukhtoons for their terrorist acts. The answer is very simple because Pukhtoons are simple, poor and religious minded nation, he added. That is why they were easily trapped in the hands of terrorists. 

An earlier report had said that at least five persons were killed and fifteen others injured in a powerful bomb blast near Pishtakhara Police check-post near Ring Road on Saturday, police official confirmed.

District Coordination Officer (DCO) Peshawar had confirmed the death of five persons.Soon after the blast, the police and the security official cordoned off the area, while the injured were shifted to Lady Reading Hospital. Emergency has been declared in hospitals.
 
The Pishtakhara area situated in suburbs of Peshawar and a main entrance to the provincial capital from Bara, Khyber Agency. The police also confirmed that a car loaded with explosive hit the police check-post, killing five persons and injuring fifteen others, mostly deputed at the check-post.

The blast was so heavy which also injured the people roaming nearby the check-post besides, damaging vehicles on the main Ring Road.
 
President, PM condemn

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani Saturday strongly condemned the terrorist attack at Pushtakhara, in the outskirts of Peshawar.

The two leaders expressed their deep sorrow and grief over the loss of lives and said the government will speed up efforts to wipe out extremists and terrorists from the country.
 
In separate messages the two leaders expressed their resolve not to be deterred by terrorist attacks.

The President and the Prime Minister expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and prayed to Allah Almighty to shower his blessings on the departed souls and grant courage to their families to bear this loss.

They also directed best possible medical treatment for the injured.

The Prime Minister in a separate message expressed his deep sorrow over the tragic death of son of former Inspector General of Punjab Police Shaukat Javed.