A suicide bomber killed no fewer than 50 people today outside a public park in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore, the capital of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s political heartland of Punjab, rescue officials said.
The explosion took place in the parking area of Gulshan Iqbal Park, just a few feet away from some children’s swings. Many of the dead were children and women. And they also constitute the bulk of the injured.
Sky News reported that the area was crowded at the time because Christians were gathering to celebrate the Easter holiday.
Many families were leaving the park when the blast occurred.
Superintendent Mustansar Feroz initially gave the death toll as 38.
Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation of 190 million people, is plagued by a Taliban insurgency, criminal gangs and sectarian violence. Punjab is its biggest and wealthiest province.