Punjab Home Minister Shuja Khanzada martyred in Attock suicide blast

ATTOCK: Punjab Home Minister Col (r) Shuja Khanzada was among at least 19 people killed Sunday when suicide bombers attacked the political office of the retired colonel in his native village in Attock district.

Dr Saeed Ilahi, adviser to the province's chief minister, confirmed the death of the provincial home minister.

"Punjab Home Minister Shuja Khanzada has embraced martyrdom," chief rescue official Mohammad Ashfaq also confirmed.

Rescue and administration officials confirmed the death toll, adding that at least 17 other people were injured in the suicide blast.

According to reports, a jirga (open court) was underway at Khanzada’s political office in his native Shadi Khan village when the suicide attackers detonated their explosives. The blast caused the roof of the building to collapse under which the provincial home minister was trapped for several hours.

A spokesperson for the Punjab police confirmed that DSP Syed Shaukat Shah was also among the martyred and that his body had been recovered from rubble.

"We responded as soon as we received information from Attock. Some of the injured are critical and have immediately been shifted to the Attock District Headqaurters (DHQ) hospital Attock," Rescue 1122 spokesperson Deeba Shahnaz told Geo News.

Speaking to Geo News from the location earlier, the provincial home minister's nephew Sohrab Khanzada said he was in the kitchen when the blast rocked the building with such intensity that it caused the entire building to collapse.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has condemned the terrorist attack, while Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has also expressed condolences for the victims of the attack.

The ISPR said that special search and rescue team equipped with high-tech machinery was aiding in the rescue operation in Attock.

Hospitals in Rawalpindi and Islamabad have been put on high alert due to the high number of expected casualties from the explosion.

‘Two suicide attackers carried out attack’

Speaking to the media, Inspector General (IG) Punjab Police Mushtaq Sukhera said two suicide attackers carried out the explosion.

He said Shuja Khanzada sacrificed his life like a brave Pakistani in the ongoing war against terrorism.

The IG Punjab went on to say that several proscribed outfits were collaborating in the province. He urged unity among all ranks to fight the menace of terrorism.

Funeral prayers offered

Funeral prayers of the martyrs were offered in Attock Police Lines on Sunday night and attended by Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and CM Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak among others.

Condolences pour in

A former army-man, Khanzada assumed charge of the Punjab Home Ministry in October last year and was a major force in leading the law enforcement and security apparatus in several anti-terrorism operations. The provincial home minister was also the commander of the National Action Plan (NAP) in Punjab to combat militancy and terrorism.

Relatives and close acquaintances said Khanzada had been facing several death threats and was usually accompanied by his security squad. However, the security squad was not accompanying the provincial home minister today when the bomber attacked his political office near his residence.



Several condolence messages started pouring in after news of the death of the provincial home minister.

“Very unfortunate to lose such a brave, patriotic and kind-hearted Pakistani,” said Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif in a message on his Facebook page.



Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan also condemned the attack and Khanzada’s death.

Grieved to learn of Shuja Khanzada's martyrdom. He was one of the founding mbrs of PTI & travelled with me in the early days galvanising ppl

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) August 16, 2015

Army chief General Raheel Sharif also condemned the attack, and vowed not to let retired colonel's death go to waste.

Condemning terrorist attk on Pb Home Min,#COAS directed int agencies help find perpetrators.Such dastardly coward attempts cant dent our-1/2

— AsimBajwaISPR (@AsimBajwaISPR) August 16, 2015

national resolve 2 eliminate the menace.Khanzada Shaheed was bold Offr whose sacrifice 4 greater cause of cleansing Pak won't go waste-2

— AsimBajwaISPR (@AsimBajwaISPR) August 16, 2015