Lahore (AsiaNews) – The suicide caused 9 people and injured 35 others. The attack targeting a group of police took place in a crowded area, Allam Iqbal in Lahore, shortly before midnight as people thronged the streets ahead of celebrations marking the 61st anniversary of Pakistani Independence.
Two women police officers are among the dead. The security personnel links the terrorist attack to the recent arrest of some radical Islamic militants. According to eyewitnesses, the suicide bomber was a young bearded man who was waiting the arrival of the police at a crossroads.
A state of emergency has been declared across the city.
The attack took place just two days after the decision by some regional Assemblies (Sindh, Punjab and North Western Frontier) to push ahead with the impeachment of president Pervez Musharraf, forcing him to seek a confidence vote in parliament or resign from office.