The blast took place hours before Deputy Prime Minister He Lifeng reached Islamabad, Pakistan will investigate the China angle of the attack

Hundreds of mourners carried coffins draped in colorful clothes to burial sites in the hills on Monday after a massive suicide bombing killed at least 54 people at an election rally of a pro-Taliban cleric in Pakistan. Over 200 people were injured in a suicide bombing at a political rally site near Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan on Sunday. The suicide attack in Khar town of Bajaur district targeted the pro-Taliban Jamiat Ulema Islam (JUI) party.

As the dead were being carried for the last rites, female relatives and children were crying and beating their chests, the Associated Press reported. Hundreds of people followed the coffins to mosques and open areas for special funeral prayers and then headed into the hills for the burial. As Pakistan mourns its dead, the big question remains unanswered – who was behind the attack, and what was the likely motive?

Is there a China angle?

According to the Associated Press report, the police is also probing another aspect that the people behind the attack were against Sino-Pakistani relations. Perhaps it is not so coincidental that the bombing occurred just hours before Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng was due to arrive in Islamabad. China has invested billions in Pakistan over the past decade through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The Chinese Vice Premier’s visit was aimed at celebrating a decade of friendship and China’s recent assistance that saved Pakistan from becoming a defaulter.