According to a report, Pakistan police suspect islamic state in a bomb attack that killed atleast 44 people. The incident occurred in the north western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, bordering Afghanistan. Reportedly, police said that the explosion at a rally for the JUI-F, a government coalition party on Sunday afternoon was the work of a suicide bomber who detonated his explosives vest close to the stage where several party leaders were sitting.
Islamic state operate in Afghanistan and are an enemy of the taliban. According to the report, they have accused JUI-F of hypocricy for being an islamic group while supporting hostile governments. Reportedly, the JUI-F leader has softened his political approach in recent years to make alliances with other parties.
According to the report, a spokesman for the party said the bomb was an attempt to remove JUI-F from the field before parliamentary elections, expected later this year. Reportedly, the taliban government in Afghanistan have condemned the attack, while the ttp (Pakistan taliban) said the attack was aimed at setting islamists against each other. According to the report, Sunday’s bombing came hours before a chinese vice president visited Islamabad. Reportedly, in recent months chinese investments have helped Pakistan avoid a default on sovereign payments.