Peshawar Police Lines mosque blast leaves 157 people injured and 44 dead.

 On Monday, a mosque explosion in Peshawar's Police Lines neighbourhood left at least 157 people injured and 44 dead, according to officials.

The number of casualties was confirmed by Mohammad Asim, a spokeswoman for Lady Reading Hospital (LRH).

A rescue effort was going on inside the mosque, according to Peshawar Commissioner Riaz Mehsood, as many persons were buried beneath the rubble.

The senior official stated that "an emergency has been enforced at hospitals throughout the city and injured folks are being provided the greatest medical services."

The bombing was attributed to the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a banned organisation.

Muhammad Ijaz Khan, a Peshawar Capital City Police Officer (CCPO), told the media that the mosque's roof had collapsed following the explosion.

Rescue workers are attempting to free other jawans who are still trapped beneath the rubble.

He claimed the mosque's main hall, which could accommodate 250 to 300 people, had collapsed but the rest of the structure was still standing.

The official stated in answer to a query regarding the explosion's nature: "The scent of explosives has been detected, but it is too early to declare anything significant."

Khan estimated that there were 300 to 400 police officers in the neighbourhood when the blast occurred. According to the CCPO, a security lapse apparently took place.

He also said that the injured people and bodies had been transported to the LRH.

KP Governor Haji Ghulam Ali, who was standing next to Khan, denounced the explosion and pleaded with Peshawar residents to give blood for the injured, stating that doing so would be a "great favour for the police."

Mahmood Khan, a former chief minister of KP, also urged PTI members in Peshawar and surrounding regions to travel to LRH to give blood to the sufferers.

Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister, urged PML-N members to donate blood for those hurt in the explosion, particularly those with the O negative blood group.

At the same time, he urged the public to get to LRH right away and help save lives that were in danger.

The law and order situation in the nation has gotten worse over the past few months as terrorist organisations carry out assaults virtually unchecked across the nation.

The terrorist group has ramped up its attacks since the November breakdown of negotiations with the TTP, focusing in particular on the police in KP and the regions bordering Afghanistan. Balochistan's insurgents have also increased their violent activity and formally connected with the TTP, an illegal organisation.

In Peshawar's Badaber neighbourhood, a police car narrowly averted a bomb explosion on January 22. A police station in the Charsadda neighbourhood of Dheri Zardad was attacked by unidentified gunmen the day before, killing one police officer and injuring two others.

On January 14, militants using automatic assault rifles attacked the Sarband police station outside the province's capital, Peshawar, late at night, killing a deputy superintendent and two constables.

The explosion was explained to PM Shehbaz and Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir during their visit to Peshawar. Additionally present were Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, and Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb.

The Peshawar Corps Commander briefed the premier during the visit, and the provincial police head gave an early report on the explosion. CCTV footage of the explosion was also provided to the prime minister.

Later, PM Shehbaz went to LRH to find out about the injured.

After his visit, the prime minister posted on Twitter, saying: "Just got back from Peshawar. It is impossible to fathom the magnitude of the human catastrophe.

"This is an attack on Pakistan, nothing less. The country is experiencing intense grief. Without a doubt, terrorism poses the biggest threat to our national security, he said.

"While the suffering of the bereaved families cannot be expressed in words, I would like to send my sincerest sympathy and profound condolences. You cannot underestimate the tenacity of our people, that is my message to those responsible for today's abhorrent crime, he said.

"Knocked out cold"

The regional secretariat is right next door to the police headquarters in Peshawar, which is located in one of the most strictly policed sections in the city.

The explosion occurred at roughly 1:40 pm, as Zuhr prayers were being conducted, according to a Dawn.com correspondent who was on the scene of the incident. According to him, there were police, army, and bomb squad officers inside the mosque.

According to the reporter, a section of the building fell, and many individuals, particularly those who were in the front row during the prayers, were thought to be under it.

People were pictured crowding around the mosque's crumbled wall in television broadcasts. Roads leading to the Red Zone, which is where the Governor's House, the Chief Minister Secretariat, Corps Headquarters, and significant defence sites are located, were shut down in the meanwhile.

Police headquarters in Peshawar, Pakistan, was the scene of a mosque explosion on January 30. — AFP

In the mosque's grounds, a witness claimed, he was performing wudhu when a tremendous explosion hurled him onto the street. I was rendered unconscious and my ears were shut.

Another witness claimed that due to the blast's severity, the windows of the structure next to the mosque were broken.

Policeman Shahid Ali, who survived, reported that the explosion happened just as the imam was beginning to lead prayers. "I observed a cloud of black smoke ascending. The 47-year-old told AFP, "I fled outside to save my life.

He continued, "The screams of the people are still resonating in my mind. "People were yelling for assistance."

Later that day, in a statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif fiercely denounced the explosion and claimed that the perpetrators "had nothing to do with Islam."

Targeting individuals who defend Pakistan is a tactic used by terrorists to instil fear, he claimed.

The prime minister honoured the martyrs and vowed that their suffering would not have been in vain.

"The entire country is unified in the fight against the terrorist threat."

A comprehensive strategy would be implemented, according to PM Shehbaz, to address the deteriorating law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The federal government will also assist the provinces in boosting their anti-terrorism capabilities.

While denouncing the attack, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stated that "terrorist incidents before local and general elections were meaningful."

According to a tweet from PPP's media wing, Bilawal promised that terrorists, their financiers, and their enablers would face harsh punishment.

Bilawal emphasised that the National Action Plan was the only way to deal with the terrorism problem and pledged to "follow it strictly."

Additionally, he requested blood donations from party members to help the injured people live.

Later that day, Bilawal used his personal Twitter account to denounce the assault. "I am deeply grieved by the loss of innocent lives, and I offer my sincere sympathies to the impacted families. Such heinous deeds won't weaken our resolve to combat terrorism in Pakistan, he declared.

Imran Khan, the chairman of the PTI, also harshly denounced the "terrorist suicide attack" in Peshawar and offered his condolences to the victims' families.

He continued, "It is crucial that we strengthen our information collection and adequately equip our police forces to face the evolving threat of terrorism.

The bomber's "access to a central part of the province capital" was described by former human rights minister Shireen Mazari as yet another "intel failure."

In particular in urban areas, "our police are frontline defenders against terrorists and need stronger resources, including equipment," she continued.

Shibli Faraz of PTI criticised the assault but claimed that the government had "failed to ensure the security of its citizens."

The families of the victims received the sincere condolences of the US embassy in Islamabad. The mission posted on Twitter, "The United States stands with Pakistan in rejecting all kinds of terrorism."

Islamabad Inspector General (IG) Dr. Akbar Nasir Khan ordered the placement of a "security high-alert" throughout the capital, according to a tweet from the Islamabad Police.

According to the report, security has been stepped up at all points of entry and exit into the city, and "Safe City" system monitoring has been implemented.

Snipers had been stationed at "key locations and structures," the police continued, and they had access to thermal imaging equipment.

Following the Peshawar explosion, Sindh IG Ghulam Nabi Memon announced a red alert for the province.

The regional police head suggested that security measures at mosques, imambargahs, and other significant religious locations be enhanced.

Additionally, Memon instructed the police to increase patrolling and snap-checking. He argued that monitoring and intelligence gathering should be used to make the crackdown on criminals effective.