At least 45 people lost their lives and over 100 others were injured in a devastating suicide bombing that struck an Islamist party rally in north-west Pakistan.
The tragic incident occurred in Bajaur district, where the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) was holding a meeting.
The attack, carried out by a yet-to-be-identified group, has sparked widespread condemnation and left authorities scrambling for answers.
With the death toll expected to rise further due to the critical condition of several victims, the region is reeling from the scale of the tragedy.
The blast took place during the JUI-F workers' convention in the town of Khar, situated in the tribal district of Bajaur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, near the border with Afghanistan.
Hundreds of people had gathered under a canopy when the explosion occurred in close proximity to the stage.
Eyewitness accounts revealed that chaos ensued immediately after the blast, as the tent collapsed, trapping desperate individuals trying to escape.
Ambulances rushed injured attendees to nearby hospitals, with some seriously wounded individuals being airlifted to the city of Peshawar for urgent medical attention.
Maulana Ziaullah, a prominent regional leader of the JUI-F, was among those killed in the attack, local officials confirmed.
While no group has claimed responsibility for the bombing, the local branch of the Islamic State group (IS) in Pakistan has previously targeted JUI-F and asserted its involvement in several attacks in the region this year.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the perpetrators as terrorists who aimed to silence those advocating for Islam, the Quran, and Pakistan.
He vowed that they would face "real punishment" for their heinous act, emphasizing the government's determination to eradicate terrorism from the country.
The political gathering was an essential opportunity for the JUI-F to galvanize support ahead of an upcoming election.
As authorities investigate the incident, security forces have cordoned off the area, ensuring a thorough examination of the scene.
It is worth noting that the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) disassociated itself from the attack and denied any involvement.
However, the rise in attacks by the TTP and other militant groups in northwest Pakistan in recent years has heightened concerns, especially after the Afghan Taliban's ascendancy in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021.