Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A bomb killed eight people in Pakistan on Monday, including the son of an influential Afghan cleric, and wounded about 45 in the northwestern city of Peshawar, officials said.
Bombings and attacks have increased across the country in the run-up to a May 11 general election. The Pakistani Taliban have claimed responsibility for most of the violence and some political parties have decide not to hold open-air rallies because of the danger.
The attack on Monday appeared to be aimed at the convoy of a city official, said police officer Mohammad Ashfaq. He said most of the people killed and wounded were waiting for a bus.
Among the dead was Qari Hilal, the son of prominent Afghan cleric Qazi Amin Waqad, said an official at Afghanistan's consulate in the Pakistani city.
Qazi Amin Waqad is a member of Afghanistan's High Peace Council, which is trying to draw the Afghan Taliban into peace talks. Hilal was organising a conference of Afghan and Pakistani religious scholars to oppose militancy, Afghan consulate officials said.
Peshawar is an ancient trading town at the gateway to the Khyber Pass and Afghanistan and has for years seen numerous militant attacks.
More than a dozen people were killed in blasts across Pakistan over the weekend. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attacks as part of their campaign against the election, saying democracy was un-Islamic.
“The so-called general elections are going to held under the secular democratic system on 11th May 2013, in a country which came into being under the banner of Islamic doctrine,” the Pakistani Taliban said in a statement.
“Man cannot be secular and Muslim.”
Reuters
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments