Awami National Party (ANP) President and Senator Aimal Wali Khan has condemned the suicide attack on the Aman Mela checkpoint in the Darazinda area of Pakistan’s Dera Ismail Khan district, describing it as a failure by the state to ensure the security of citizens.

According to Dawn, Khan called on the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments to take greater responsibility for protecting citizens and addressing the deteriorating security situation in the province.

In a statement, Khan said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is experiencing one of the darkest periods in its history. He alleged that the Pashtun population is facing systematic violence and said prolonged insecurity has left the province deeply affected by terrorism.

Khan also condemned an attack on an ambulance reportedly carrying the body of a person killed in the blast, describing it as an “inhumane act.”

The ANP leader questioned the government’s response to the worsening security situation, saying that blaming groups referred to by authorities as “Fitna al-Khawarij” and “Fitna al-Hindustan” does not absolve the state of its responsibility to protect citizens.

He urged the federal and provincial governments to stop blaming each other and instead focus on restoring peace and strengthening security across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Eleven people were killed and ​30 injured in a blast ‌in Dera Ismail Khan in northwestern Pakistan on Saturday, emergency service Rescue ​1122 said.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for ​Saturday’s attack.

The blast occurred near ​Aman Mela in the Darazinda area of ‌the ⁠district, Rescue 1122 said in a statement.

Rescue teams from the Darazinda station reached the scene ​and began ​relief operations, ⁠providing medical assistance to the wounded and taking ​them to hospital, the ​service ⁠said.

Security incidents have continued in the district this month, including attacks ⁠involving ​the Pakistani Taliban.

Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party has postponed ​a planned long march from Peshawar to Islamabad ‌until October 4, the chief minister of the PTI-ruled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Sohail Afridi, told reporters on Friday.

PTI had planned ​to begin the march on September 27 to ​press for the release of Khan, who has ⁠been in jail since 2023. The PTI’s last ​large-scale protest two years ago ended in deadly clashes ​with security forces, Reuters reported.

Earlier this week, Pakistan curbed access to its capital, Islamabad, by blocking major highways with shipping containers and deploying ​tens of thousands of security forces, ahead of the ​march planned by Khan’s supporters.

Party spokesperson Zulfi Bukhari, however, told Reuters ‌that ⁠although they had moved the planned date to October 4, they could launch the march earlier.

“We can now do it whenever we deem fit. The question ​is to the ​government, as ⁠to how long they’re willing to keep the country closed off?”, Bukhari said.

Authorities have ​detained three of Khan’s sisters and hundreds ​of ⁠party activists in recent days, citing a need to maintain public order.

Khan, 73, a former cricket star ousted ⁠by ​parliament in a 2022 no-confidence vote, ​has claimed to be a political prisoner.