Riots broke out in parts of Bhakkar and Dera Ismail Khan today after the suicide attack on the house of PML-N MP Rashid Akbar Niwani last evening that killed at least 23 persons and wounded over 40.
The authorities did not rule out sectarian dimension of the attack. Niwani himself conceded that his group had longstanding political rivalry with another influential group in the area but insisted that he never received any threat. The Punjab police chief said a sectarian section of Al-Qaida was suspected to be behind the attack though no group has yet accepted responsibility.
Hundreds of angry people took to the streets after the attack on the PML-N parliamentarian. They fired in the air and blocked the road linking Punjab to the NWFP and burned tyres. A similar protest was reported in the Kotli Imam Hussain area of Dera Ismail Khan.
The attack sent shock waves countrywide amid fears that the terrorists targeted a politician in such a remote area who is virtually unrelated to the ongoing military operations in tribal areas. On the contrary, his party led by Nawaz Sharif is generally critical of the use of force at the behest of the US and pleads for a policy of dialogue with militants.
Top political leadership of the country, including the President and the Prime Minister, have condemned the attack. Punjab Governor Salman Taseer and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif flew in helicopters to Mianwali and met Niwani in hospital. Niwani was injured and has a fractured arm.
