34 injured as blast hits Lahore Road

Islamabad, Aug 8 : A bomb ripped through a truck loaded with fruit and parked on Lahores Band Road, leaving at least 34 people, mostly passers-by, injured late on Monday.

"It was a bomb blast in a fruit truck," Punjab government spokesman Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan said.

The bombing came as ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif prepares to return to Lahore, the power bastion of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, in a bid to show the street power his party wields in Punjab.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Haider Ashraf said the truck was loaded with explosives and experts were combing through the wreckage.

"Allah has saved Lahore from big destruction," he added.

Another top government official also confirmed that it was bomb explosion.