Tariq Aslam
Incident Description: Suicide Attack
Summary of Case
On April 16, 2013, a sub-editor for Urdu-language newspaper Daily Pakistan, Tariq Aslam was killed in a suicide attack on a political rally in Peshawar, the capital city of the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Additionally, a news editor for Daily Pakistan, Azhar Ali Shah, and a reporter for Express News, Ihtisham Khan, were wounded. Journalists were covering the Awami National Party political rally which was part of its campaign for the upcoming elections, in a densely packed neighbourhood in Peshawar when a suicide bomber blew himself.
In the suicide blast, at least 16 persons, including Aslam, were killed and dozens others were injured. Police were unable to find any clues about the accused and the case was closed. Aslam left behind four children and a widow. He was the only breadwinner in his family. Meanwhile, Shah had received head injuries while Khan suffered numerous wounds on his legs and chest. The Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack.
TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said that their target was Haroon Bilour, a lawyer who was running for a seat in Peshawar and the nephew of another ANP leader, Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, who was injured in the blast.
Updates
According to police no one was arrested. Police responded to PPF's request for information and said that they had found no clues in the case and it had been closed.