M A I N   N E W S

Blast at Baba Farid’s dargah in Pak, 6 killed
Afzal Khan in Islamabad

A powerful bomb went off outside outside the gates of the shrine of sufi saint Baba Farid packed with devotees in a city in Pakistan’s central Punjab province today, killing at least six persons and injuring 25 others. The blast, which severely damaged the walls and parts of the shrine’s structure, occurred near a spot where the sitting arrangement had been made for women devotees.

Two unidentified youths parked a motorcycle outside the gates of the shrine where some 300 people were present in Pakpattan city and the blast occurred shortly thereafter at 6.20 am, witnesses said. They said the duo fled the scene after leaving the motorcycle there. Two women were among the six dead, police and civil administration officials said. Among the 25 injured also were eight women. Several of the injured, who were in serious condition, were sent to hospitals in Lahore.

No group claimed responsibility for the blast, which was condemned by political leaders and top clerics.