Bomb at Islamist party rally in Pakistan kills 14

         
An explosion ripped through a campaign rally of a leading Islamist party in Pakistan on Monday, killing 14 people and wounding dozens more, a government official said as the run-up to the country's May 11 election becomes increasingly dangerous.                  

The bomb blast at the rally held in the village of Sewak in the northwest Kurram tribal region by the Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam party is the latest incident of violence targeting candidates, political offices and election-related events as the vote approaches.

Much of the violence is believed to have been carried out by the Taliban against three liberal and secular parties but Monday's blast was unique in that it targeted a party believed to have a more favorable relationship with the militant group.               

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the blast.                

The bomb, which was apparently planted near the main stage of the rally, killed 14 and wounded 50 people, said Javed Khan, a government administrator in the Kurram tribal region.
                 
Two party leaders who were speaking at the event escaped unharmed, Khan said.                 

One of the candidates, Ainuddin Shakir, told a local television station that the blast went off just as the candidates were finishing their rally and leaving the stage. He said it appeared to have been detonated by remote control.                

About 2,500 people had gathered at a local religious school to hear the candidates speak, said one man who was in the crowd, Sabir Gul. The massive explosion came just as one of the candidates ended his speech and was leaving the stage, he said.            


AP