Islamabad: Forty-one people were killed and over 100 injured today (Oct 7, 2004) after a deadly explosion ripped through a procession of the banned Sunni extremist outfit Sipha-e-Sehba in Pakistan's city of Multan, prompting the Government to deploy the Army and impose a nation-wide ban on public and religious gatherings. A remote-controlled car bomb exploded in a narrow lane in Multan city of Punjab province around 4.30 am local time (5.00 am IST) when thousands of people were returning home after attending a Sunni congregation to commemorate the death anniversary of the founder leader of Sipha-e Sehba (SSP) Azam Tariq who was killed in a shootout outside Islamabad last year.

The Mayor of the district Pir Riaz Hussain Qureshi said the device was a timer.

A high-level meeting to review the law and order situation, attended by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, decided to impose a countrywide ban on public meetings and congregations except on Friday prayers. The decision was taken to prevent any fallout of today's car blast.

"The Army has been called out to start patrolling in the city to check any possible reaction," said Pakistan's Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao, who also attended the meeting.

The military was deployed after 2,000 people demonstrated outside the main Government hospital soon after the blast and chanted slogans against the rival groups and the Government.

State-run PTV reported that 41 people were killed in the incident that also left over 100 wounded.