At least seven people were killed and an unspecified number injured on Wednesday in a blast in Pakistan's Punjab province, the police said.The blast took place outside the election office of Sardar Amjad Farooq Khosa, an assembly member belonging to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Party, in Punjab's Dera Ghazi Khan district, district police officer Khan Ghulam Mubashir Maiken said. Earlier reports said five people were killed in the blast.The reports also said rescue personnel rushed to the blast site and shifted the victims to hospital.The toll from the attack could rise further as the condition of several of the injured was critical, said hospital sources.
Eyewitnesses said two attackers drove into the PML-N leader's political office and detonated explosives, Dawn online reported.Around 40 people were present there at the time of the suicide attack, which left seven people dead, including a local PML-N leader.Punjab Governor Rafiq Rajwana and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif condemned the attack and expressed grief over the loss of lives.The blast, which took place days ahead of Muharram, could be heard two kms away. The government has beefed up security arrangements for Muharram.The incident comes two months after Punjab home minister Shuja Khanzada was killed in a suicide attack on his political office in Attock.