Afterthe bombing which followed a series of such incidents, the entirecountry appeared vulnerable with terrorists at liberty to choose theplace and time to attack. This was the third suicide attack in lessthan 24 hours in which security personnel and a religious sect weretargeted.
 
A suicide bomber struck near a checkpoint atMiramshah in North Waziristan on Saturday, killing Frontier Corpstroops and civilians, including children. Also on Saturday, a suicidebomber blew himself up in front of a makeshift barrack of paramilitaryFrontier Constabulary in Islamabad, killing six personnel responsiblefor protecting the foreigners and two civilians.

However,Sunday’s incident was different, at least in the nature of its target.The suicide bomber attacked a religious gathering taking place in anImambargah in Chakwal, suggesting that those masterminding suchincidents regarded both the security forces and members of a particularMuslim sect as their legitimate targets.

There were moving scenes as the blast killed or wounded all those who were about to enter the Imambargah to attend a Majlis.

Eyewitnessessaid the attacker, said to be aged between 15 and 17, detonated hissuicide jacket when he was stopped at the gate of the Imambargah,located in the heart of the city.

‘Isaw a teenage boy trying to enter the Imambargah. One of the guards ofthe Imambargah got hold of him. The suicide bomber then raised his armsand blew himself up,’ eyewitness Wahid Ahmed told Dawn. Anothereyewitness, Imran, who was inside the Imambargah when the blast tookplace, said that at first he thought the roof of the Imambargah hadcollapsed. ‘But a few minutes later, I saw bodies and injured peoplelying in a pool of blood,’ he added.

Anemergency was declared in the District Headquarters Hospital ofChakwal. ‘We have so far received 26 bodies and 41 injured people,’said Dr Alamgir, the Medical Superintendent of the hospital.

He said that 10 of the injured had been taken to hospitals in Rawalpindi and Islamabad in critical condition.

Movingscenes were witnessed at the hospital where people had gathered inlarge numbers. Some people held a protest demonstration in the mainmarket of the city. They blocked roads and attacked public and privatevehicles.

‘Wedid not have any prior information that terrorists could strikeChakwal,’ Inspector-General of Punjab Police Shaukat Hayat toldreporters after visiting the site of the attack.

 Hesaid a joint investigation team had been formed. Police andintelligence sources said the initial investigation had suggested thatthe suicide bomber probably belonged to the NWFP, but his handlers werelocal.

Agencies add: Police said some1,200 people were attending the religious gathering. The IG said thesuicide bomber appeared to be 15-year-old boy whose legs and head, withdamage to the face, had been found at the blast site.

Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said the bomber could not enter the Imambargah and blew himself up at the entrance.

‘The bomber was intercepted at the entrance, otherwise he could have caused large-scale casualties,’ Mr Sanaullah said.

‘We have sent two helicopters to move the injured to hospitals in other cities.’

AnAFP photographer at the scene said the vast mosque remained intactafter the blast, but wreckage of cars and motorcycles lay strewn aroundthe boundary wall. One witness described hearing a ‘very loud blast’during a brief interval in the religious session when people were goingin and out of the mosque.

‘Therewas a huge blast and a lot of smoke. I rushed to the main gate and sawseveral bodies lying in a pool of blood and body parts scattered allaround,’ Qazi Wafa told AFP by telephone.

‘It was the most horrible scene of my life, but I immediately started helping efforts to get the wounded to hospital.’

Someof those killed were identified as Bashir Matwali, Javed Jadi, ArsalanHaider, Ali Haider , Habib Khan, Sajid Hussain, Ghulam Shabbir, NusratHussain, Zulfiqar Hussain, Chaudhry Baqir Ali, Chaudhry Ejaz, MuhammadJahangir, Haji Tawakal Abbas, Karam Elahi, Mian Khan Tatral, Sher Khan,Chaudhry Ahmed Khan, Haji Wasif Hussain and Kamran.

President Asif Ali Zardari ‘strongly condemned’ the bombing and ordered authorities to find the perpetrators and punish them.