Pakistan Islamist chief targeted

Maulana Rehman’s convoy and supporters were attacked by a bomber on Wednesday

At least 10 people have been killed in north-west Pakistan after a bomb hit the convoy of a hardline religious leader, police say.

At least two of those who died in the blast near Charsadda were police guarding Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who was unharmed. Thirty others were injured.

It is the second time in as many days that bombers have apparently targeted Maulana Rehman. Ten died on Wednesday.

It is not clear who carried out the attacks or why.

The BBC’s Riffatullah Orakzai in Peshawar says Maulana Rehman’s Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party is close to militant organisations.

Maulana Rehman himself said he did not know who might want to attack him.

“My car was substantially damaged in the attack. There is blood everywhere… my clothes are covered in blood,” he told reporters minutes after the attack.

“The bodies were blown out of the car… We are trying to get the dead and injured out of here and to hospitals.

“I can’t say who is behind these attacks but its definitely due to our political ideology.”

Some reports say that a suicide bomber tried to reach Maulana Rehman’s car but was stopped by a police vehicle escorting the politician.

Officials say the blast ripped through the police vehicle.

Charsadda police chief Nisar Khan Marwat told the BBC that at least two policemen inside were among the dead – the rest were locals, he said.

Maulana Rehman escaped unscathed, although two of his aides were injured.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.