No one has yet claimed responsibility, but suspicion among officials and analysts was directed towards Islamic State – Khorasan (IS-K), which has recently regrouped and revived its militant activities in Pakistan to devastating effect, and with little sign of being contained.
Alongside a recent resurgence of its rival, the Pakistan Taliban, which has been behind dozens of deadly attacks over the past few months, the country’s security situation continues to deteriorate to its worst in years.
IS-K claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing of a political rally in July that targeted a party known for its close ties to the Taliban in Afghanistan, killing 54 people.
IS-K has positioned itself as an Islamist group even more hardline than the Taliban, and has targeted its rival in both Afghanistan and Pakistan for not enforcing sharia law strictly enough.
A powerless caretaker government is running the country, its most popular political leader, Khan, is behind bars and the date of the general election has continually been pushed back.
The anticipated return of the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in October from the UK, where he had been hiding for the past three years – ostensibly for medical treatment but in reality to avoid jail – is only likely to deepen the political turmoil.
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