The death toll in the Peshawar suicide attack, which claimed the life of Awami National Party (ANP) leader Barrister Haroon Bilour, has increased to 20, Geo News reported Wednesday morning.
Presently, 62 people injured in the suicide attack are seeking treatment at Lady Reading Hospital, authorities confirmed.
The explosion occurred late Tuesday night in the Yakatoot neighbourhood moments after Bilour arrived to address a corner meeting.
The deceased ANP leader, who was set to contest the July 25 elections from Peshawar’s PK-78 constituency, will be buried in Wazir Bagh at 5pm today (Wednesday).
The son of Bashir Ahmed Bilour, a senior ANP figure who, himself, was martyred in a suicide attack in 2012 after a party meeting, Haroon was rushed to the hospital in a critical condition but succumbed to his wounds shortly after.
He was 47 years old.
A case over the incident has been registered at police station Agha Mir Jani Shah with SHO Wajid Ali as the complainant.
Following the incident, the Election Commission of Pakistan postponed the polls in PK-78 (Peshawar-XIII) constituency.
The polls have been postponed due to the death of the PK-78 candidate, the electoral body said, adding that the new schedule for the said constituency will be announced later.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council has also announced a three-day mourning in light of the attack, with lawyers beginning the boycott of court proceedings today.
