A suicide car bomb exploded in a market outside the home of the Punjab chief minister's senior adviser, Zulfiqar Khosa in Dera Ghazi Khan on Tuesday, killing 33 people and wounding 60 others. The attacker detonated his explosives outside Khosa's house, who was not at home at the time. Witness: A witness, Naeem, said a white-coloured car reached the gate of Khosa's house and exploded, APP reported. Most of the dead and injured were people shopping or working at the market. It was unclear whether the bomber meant to target the politician's home or the market.
Damage: The attack badly damaged the house and several nearby shops and buildings, including a mosque and bank.
Government official Hasan Iqbal said the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber. "The whole market has collapsed," said Raza Khan, a local resident. "There is smoke and people running here and there."
The attacker had packed the car with about 900 pounds of explosives, senior police officer Muhammad Rizwan said.
Zulfiqar Khosa's son, Dost Muhammad Khosa, said two of his cousins were among the wounded. "It was a direct attack on us," Dost alleged, declining to speculate who was behind the blast.
Iqbal said he doubted the house was the target, speculating the attacker simply wanted to spread terror in the town.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani strongly condemned the blast and reiterated that such acts could not deter the government in its resolve to fight terrorism.
A spokesman for the US embassy also extended "sympathy to the families and friends and to all the people of Pakistan".