February 2017 Lahore suicide bombing
| 2017 Lahore suicide bombing | |
|---|---|
| Part of the War in North-West Pakistan | |
 Charing Cross
Charing Cross
Charing Cross
Location of the Charing Cross in Lahore, where the attack occurred.
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| Location | Charing Cross, The Mall, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Coordinates | 31°33′32.4″N 74°19′26.4″E / 31.559000°N 74.324000°ECoordinates: 31°33′32.4″N 74°19′26.4″E / 31.559000°N 74.324000°E |
| Date | 13 February 2017 18:10 (UTC+05:00) |
| Target | Police officials |
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Attack type
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Suicide bombing |
| Weapons | Explosive belt |
| Deaths | At least 18 (+1 bomber) |
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Non-fatal injuries
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Over 90 |
| Victims | Zahid Gondal (SSP Operations, Punjab Police) Ahmed Mobin (DIG Traffic, Lahore) |
| Perpetrators | Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (claimed) |
On 13 February 2017, a suicide bombing took place on the Mall Road in Lahore, Pakistan, where a group of chemists and pharmacists were holding a protest at Charing Cross in front of the Punjab provincial assembly. According to Punjab Police sources, 18 people were killed including several police officials, and at least 87 were injured.
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a faction of the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP), claimed responsibility for the attack. Local authorities cordoned off the site to begin investigations. According to Pakistani authorities, the attack was orchestrated from Afghanistan, where the militant group operates sanctuaries. On 23 February, Pakistani security forces killed the mastermind of the attack, Wajihullah, near the Afghan border following the launch of Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad.
The attack took place less than a year after the Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park suicide bombing, which occurred in Lahore in March 2016. At the time of the attack, the targeted location was populated by a group of pharmaceutical manufacturers and chemists, who were demonstrating against a Punjab government crackdown on illegal drugs. The Provincial Assembly of the Punjab had passed amendments to the Drug Act, 1976 on 8 February 2017. The amendments in the act hardened the rules and regulations for medical stores. The law also required medical stores across the Punjab to recruit at least one pharmacist. Various medical associations had called for a provincial-wide strike to protest against the bill.
There were at least 400 protesters present at the Mall Road, and a significant number of police officers were deployed to the venue to maintain the situation. A suicide bomber reached the location and detonated himself while the protest was ongoing.
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