KARACHI: The Australian cricket squad will continue its tour of Pakistan despite a suicide bomb blast at a mosque in Peshawar, which is about 184 kilometres from Rawalpindi, where the visitors are playing their first Test in the country after 24 years.
"Cricket Australia is constantly in touch with the Pakistan Cricket Board, their High Commission and relevant security personnel and there is no danger to the historic tour," a source in the board, who declined to be named, said on Friday.
He said that since the CEO of Cricket Australia and the CEO of the Australian Cricketers Association were both in Rawalpindi for the first Test, they were constantly in touch with their own security personnel, PCB, and their High Commission.
"The two officials have been briefed on the incident in Peshawar and it is a process where Cricket Australia, PCB and ACA are constantly monitoring the situation as it progresses."
"But the Australians continue to be given state level security at every step of the tour and they are in a safe and secure environment," the source said.
He recalled that even when South Africa toured Pakistan in 2007 for a Test series, a series of blasts had taken place in Karachi when former prime minister, the late Benazir Bhutto returned home from exile in Dubai.
"The South Africans continued and completed their tour. The Australians are also in sync with the security given to them and their security team is monitoring round the clock," he said.
The Australian media also reported that team officials are monitoring the situation and in contact with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The attack in Peshawar happened during Friday prayers at a mosque for Shia muslims.
The blast resulted in the death of 56 people inside the mosque and left scores injured.
Australia play their remaining Test matches of the series in Lahore and Karachi and return to Rawalpindi for the white-ball series.
They have no matches scheduled in Peshawar.
Another source working in close proximity with Australian team security officials said Pakistan had learnt lessons well from the 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka's team.
After that attack, the ICC moved 2011 World Cup matches from Pakistan and top international teams also refused to tour because of security concerns.
The process of international teams and Test matches returning to Pakistan began in 2019/20 when Sri Lanka and Bangladesh played Tests in Pakistan.
South Africa also toured Pakistan in early 2021 for a Test series but Australia is the first top notch side to visit Pakistan since 2009.
A suicide bomber blew himself up inside a crowded Shia mosque during the Friday congregation here in northwest Pakistan, killing at least 56 people and wounding nearly 200 others, in one of the deadliest attacks in the restive province, bordering Afghanistan.
The blast occurred at an Imambargah located near the Qissa Khwani Bazaar area of Peshawar when the worshippers were offering Friday prayers.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the blast in Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa which borders Afghanistan.
However, the Islamic State and sectarian militant groups have claimed responsibility for the deadly attacks targeting Shias in the past.
Mohammad Asim, a spokesperson for Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), confirmed that at least 56 people were killed while 194 were injured in the blast.
An eyewitness identified a person as dressed in black as the suicide bomber, saying he entered the mosque, shot and killed the security guard first and then fired five to six bullets.
"After that, he quickly entered the [mosque's] main hall and blew himself up in front of the pulpit. Following this, there were bodies and injured people lying everywhere," the eyewitness told Geo News.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government spokesman Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif said that two terrorists were involved in the suicide bombing.
Talking to the media, Peshawar SSP Operations Haroon Rasheed Khan said the explosion was a suicide blast.
There were two attackers but only one of them was a suicide bomber, he said.
Inspector-General of Police Moazzam Jah Ansari the terrorist first opened fire at the worshippers after entering the mosque and then blew himself up.
Ansari said that about five to six kilogrammes of explosives were used in the blast, which took place in the third row of the mosque.
An emergency has been declared in the hospital and doctors on leave were summoned.
Officials said the condition of some of the injured is stated to be critical.
Capital City Police Officer Peshawar Ijaz Ahsan said two attackers tried to enter the mosque and fired at the policemen standing guard.
One policeman was killed while the other was critically injured, he said.
The blast occurred following the firing incident, he added.
President Arif Alvi condemned the blast and expressed grief over the precious lives lost.
Prime Minister Imran Khan strongly condemned the blast and directed authorities to provide medical treatment to the injured.
He also sought an inquiry report from the authorities concerned.
Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed sought a report of the incident from the Chief Secretary and IG of the province.
"No threat alert was received, we had a meeting a couple of days ago but no threat was received; we had no information about it," the interior minister said.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan condemned the blast and vowed to bring the perpetrators of this heinous act to justice.
He said targeting people in a place of worship is an inhuman and cruel act and directed authorities to ensure the best medical care to the injured.
He has convened an emergency meeting at Chief Minister's House to review the overall security situation in the province, bordering Afghanistan.
"Heart-wrenching terrorist incident in Peshawar in which so many precious lives have been lost. Words can't adequately condemn the sheer brutality. Terrorism continues to remain our foremost national challenge. Prayers & condolences are with the bereaved families!" PML-N President and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif tweeted.
Former President Asif Ali Zardari said that the attack would not have happened if "nurseries of terrorism had been destroyed".
Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also condemned the terrorism incident in Peshawar in a separate statement, saying the terrorists attacked humanity by targeting innocent worshipers.