DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Feb 20 (APP):  At least 22 persons were killed and 67 others injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up during funeral procession of Shia elder near Shobara hotel here on Friday, DCO Syed Mohsin Shah said.  “The funeral procession accompanying the body of Shia elder, Sher Zaman killed yesterday by unknown gunmen, was moving towards the graveyard when reached near Sobra hotel a suicide bomber struck, killing 22 persons instantly and  leaving 67 wounded,” he told APP.

He said that investigation team has been formed and vowed that perpetrators behind it would soon be brought to justice. The DCO said curfew has been imposed in the city and army has been called in. He said that lifting of curfew depend upon the situation.

He asked the people to remain indoor as shoot on sight orders have been issued. The DCO said security personnel are patrolling the roads and streets to avoid loss of life and propertey and maintain order.  According to hospital sources in DHQ, 35 critically injured were referred to Bhakkar Hospital while three critical were shifted to Nishtar Hospital, Multan.

The dead identified are, Kifayat Hussain, nine class student Hazrat Hussain, Inam, Ali Shah, Bashir Hussain, Saqlain, Jawad Hussain, Azmat Hussain, Ghulam Qadar, Azeem Hussain, Hussain Raza, Raza Hussain, Niamat Khan, Yunas, Zulfiqar, Rajab Ali, Fayaz, Ismail, Tahir Hussain  Qaiser and Arif Hussain.

The injured were rushed to District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) DI Khan, Bhakkar and CMH. Emergency has been declared in DI Khan hospital while doctors on leave have been called back.  The doctors said that condition of several victims was stated to be critical.The enraged mourners and family members of the victims protested the incident and resorted to aerial firing.  The casualty figure may rise further due to critical condition of the victims.

They protestors burnt tyres and pelted stones on buildings and vehicles.

Police rushed to the scene and started search operation.  The situation in the city remained tense as intermittent incidents of firing are still reported from interior city.

The NWFP Chief Minister, Ameer Haider Khan Hoti while strongly condemning the loss of innocent lives in the deadly suicide attack in funeral procession in DI Khan said here Friday that elements involved in this barbaric act are enemy of Islam and humanity.

The Chief Minister directed the law enforcing agencies to utilize all available resources for early arrest of the perpetrators involved in this inhuman and un-islamic act.

Expressing his profound grief and sorrow over the loss of innocent lives in the explosion and sympathizing with members of bereaved families, the Chief Minister announced compensation for the heirs of the dead and injured.  The Chief Minister directed the hospital administration to ensure free treatment to the injured and assured that government will give exemplary punishment to the elements behind this attack.

He appealed people from every walk of life including Ulema, traders, religious scholars, academicians, LG representatives to play their active role by strengthening the government hands for normalization of situation in the city.  Mr. Hoti appealed people to remain clam and observe patience to frustrate the nefarious designs of anti-state elements. He said the elements through such cowards acts were trying to create cracks in the religious and political harmony in the country that could be not be tolerated and the nefarious designs of these elements would be frustrated with the power of 160 million people.  The Chief Minister urged the people to further strengthen the spirit of unity, solidarity and inter-faith harmony in their ranks to foil all such conspiracies.  The Chief Minister, Ameer Haider Khan Hoti prayed to Allah Almighty to rest departed souls in eternal peace and grant courage to the members of bereaved families to bear this irreparable loss with patience and fortitude.

Hoti prayed for the early recovery of the injured and said that his government equally shared the grief and sorrow with the victims’ families and will not leave them alone in this testing times.

The provincial Minister for Information and Public Relations, Mian Iftikhar Hussain said the enemies of the peace were trying to sabotage the peace efforts of the provincial government but they would not succeed in their nefarious designs.

He clarified that such elements could not succeed in their nefarious designs nor they could block the way for peace through such tactics.

Condemning suicide attack on funeral prayer in which dozens of people were killed and dozens injured in strongest words, the Minister in his message said that it was a barbaric act of terrorism.

“The elements involved in such negative acts were the enemies of peace as well as of this land. No religion of the world permitted the killing of innocent people and our religion Islam had terned the killing of a single person tantamount to the killing of all humanity,” he remarked.

The Minister prayed to the Allah Almighty to shower his blessing on the departed souls, he also prayed for the early recovery of the injured.

The meeting of ANP parliamentary party chaired by Provincial President ANP, Afrasiab Khan Khattak was held here at Chief Minister House on Friday,  strongly condemned the deadly suicide explosion in funeral that resulted in loss of dozens of precious innocent lives and many injured.

The participants expressed their profound grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives and expressed heartfelt sympathies with families of the victims.

They prayed Allah Almighty to rest the departed souls in eternal peace and prayed for early recovery of the injured. The meeting expressed solidarity with members of bereaved families and offered Fateha for the departed souls.