An apparent suicide attack killed one of Pakistan’s provincial ministers and at least eight other people when it destroyed the minister’s home in prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s political heartland, officials said.



Police said the attack in Attock caused the roof to cave in while Shuja Khanzada, the home minister of Punjab province, was holding meetings with about 20 people.

“There were between 20 and 30 people present when the blast took place,” said Shahzad Niaz, a district information officer. “The roof collapsed.” Rescue workers at the scene said nine bodies had been recovered.

A bomb killed one of Pakistan’s provincial ministers and at least eight others when it destroyed his home in Attock

A Taliban-affiliated militant group, Lashkar-e-Islam, claimed responsibility for the attack and said it was retaliation for military operations against them. “Such types of attacks will continue in the future,” said a spokesman, Saluddin Ayubi.

It was unclear whether Lashkar-e-Islam, which is based mainly in tribal areas along the Afghan border, actually carried out the attack or was just taking credit for it.

If the claim is true, the bombing would represent a significant development in the group’s ability to strike at high-level targets. Such large attacks are more usually the hallmark of the Taliban or the banned sectarian group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

Punjab, Pakistan’s biggest and wealthiest province, has traditionally been more peaceful than other parts of the country. Sharif’s opponents have accused him of tolerating militancy in return for peace in his province, a charge he denies.

Two weeks ago, Punjab police killed the leader of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi along with his two sons, deputy, and 10 other supporters. Police described the incident as a shootout as the leader sought to escape from custody, but many insiders say the shooting had the hallmarks of an extrajudicial killing.