World | Pakistan
Awami leader survives suicide attack
Prominent Pashtun nationalist politician and head of the Awami National Party (ANP) Asfandyar Wali Khan survived a suicide attack yesterday that killed at least 5 people and injured 13 in northwest Pakistan, police said.
- By Shahid Hussain, Correspondent
- Published: 00:13 October 3, 2008
Islamabad: Prominent Pashtun nationalist politician and head of the Awami National Party (ANP) Asfandyar Wali Khan survived a suicide attack yesterday that killed at least 5 people and injured 13 in northwest Pakistan, police said.
The bomber blew himself up outside the residence of the secular party's president in his hometown Charsaddah in the North West Frontier Province, which is ruled by ANP - a partner in the federal government led by President Asif Ali Zardari's Pakistan People's Party.
Asfandyar said the attacker rushed towards him and about 40 guests as they were coming out of the house after a get-together on the second day of the three-day Eid festival.
"The police fired but could not stop the attacker. My guard then grabbed the man and both tumbled to the ground when the explosion took place," he said.
He expressed his anguish over the loss of lives and injuries to several people.
Vowing that his party would not be cowed down by threats and attacks, the ANP leader said, "Let me make it clear that our government will not let terrorists and extremists take control of our soil."
"Whenever they hit us we will hit back very, very strongly," Khan said, adding that his party would continue fighting terrorism with full force and determination.
The leader of the ANP, which a few months ago negotiated a peace agreement in the troubled Swat valley that later collapsed, said his party would keep the door open for talks but only with those who surrendered arms and accepted the writ of the government.
President Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and other political leaders strongly condemned the attempt on the life of the ANP chief.
The attack came about a fortnight after the massive September 20 suicide truck bombing in Islamabad that wrecked the luxury Marriott Hotel and left about 60 people dead and hundreds injured.
It was the second suicide bombing in Charsaddah aimed to kill a prominent political figure since former federal minister Aftab Khan Sherpao escaped unharmed in an attack on his political rally months before the February general elections.
Pakistan has experienced a wave of deadly suicide attacks since July last year when army commandos raided the Red Mosque in Islamabad to flush out alleged militants during the rule of president Pervez Musharraf.
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