ATTOCK, June 19: The suicide attack during a funeral procession in Shergarh Town of Mardan district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Tuesday also resulted in the death of three cousins of the Punjab’s environment minister Col (retired) Shujah Khanzada, an MPA from Attock.

Police sources said Faisal Khanzada, Ikram Khanzada and Zafar Khanzada, residents of Shadikhan Village, had gone to Mardan on Tuesday to attend funeral of their relative Haji Abdullah, who was shot dead on Monday.

They were offering the funeral prayers when an explosion ripped through the procession resulting in the death of 28 people, including the three cousins. Their family had been unaware of the incident till the administration of Mardan informed them late in the evening.

The bodies of the provincial minister’s cousins were brought to their native village where they were laid to rest at a local graveyard at 11:30pm.

A large number of people from all walks of life, including government officials, politicians and religious figures attended the funeral prayers. However, Shujah Khanzada was on a foreign tour and was unable to attend. — Correspondent