Bomb at Islamist party rally in Pakistan kills 14

PARACHINAR, Pakistan (AP) ? A bomb ripped through a campaign rally of a leading Islamist party in Pakistan on Monday, killing 14 people and wounding dozens more, a government official said as the run-up to the country's May 11 election becomes increasingly dangerous.

The blast at the rally held in the northwest Kurram tribal region by the Jamiat-e-Ulema party is the latest incident of violence targeting candidates, political offices and election-related events as the vote approaches. Much of the violence is believed to have been carried out by the Taliban against liberal and secular parties but Monday's blast was unique in that it targeted a party believed to have a more favorable relationship with the militant group.

The bomb, which was apparently planted near the main stage of the rally, killed 14 and wounded 50 people, said Javed Khan, a government administrator in the Kurram tribal region.

Two party leaders who were speaking at the event escaped unhurt, Khan said.

One of the candidates, Ainuddin Shakir, told a local television station that the blast went off just as the candidates were finishing their rally and leaving the stage.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the blast.

The Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam party is considered supportive of the Afghan Taliban's fight against the United States and its allies. It's also sympathetic to the Pakistani Taliban, which have been fighting Pakistani troops and would like to establish a hardline Islamic government in Pakistan. The group's leaders have generally opposed the Pakistani military's operations against militants in the tribal region and instead called for negotiating with the militants.

The Taliban have in recent weeks attacked secular Pakistani parties that have in general supported military intervention against the militants in the tribal regions.

Pakistan is to hold the vote on May 11. The historic election will mark the first time that at democratically elected civilian government will complete its term and hand over power to another.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-05-06-AS-Pakistan/id-b224898aa3a74b5897be04065ed9d723

EJ Manuel Dion Jordan Omar Borkan Al Gala kylie bisutti jimmy carter lunar eclipse Sunil Tripathi