A suicide bomber killed at least three people and injured two others when he detonated explosives at the house of Federal Political Affairs Minister Amir Muqam on Friday. Muqam survived the attack that left Tariq of the Islamabad police, Arif of the Peshawar police and Farooq Shah of the Frontier Constabulary (FC) dead. Former Pakistan Muslim League MPA Pir Mohammad Khan, a cousin of Muqam, and Atibar Khan were injured. They were rushed to the Hayatabad Medical Complex in a critical condition.A botched attempt: The bomber was clean-shaven, in his 20s, and had long hair. He tried to enter the ministerÂ’s house in Hayatabad at around 4:15pm, but blew himself up when the security personnel stopped him. City Police Officer Abdul Majeed Marwat confirmed the suicide attack and subsequent casualties. He said police had collected the remains of the bomber from the blast scene.
Muqum told reporters that he was attending a PML meeting at his house when the explosion took place. He said he saw blood-littered bodies on the lawn when he came out. “Obviously I was the target,” he said. He refused to comment when asked if the blast was in reaction to the Swat operation.
“The attack on Muqam’s house was a suicide bombing,” Interior Ministry Spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema told Daily Times on Friday. He did not suspect any person or group “unless the investigation is completed”.