55 killed by a bomb in the pakistani city of lahore where families were celebrating easter. also in pakistan, thousands marriott capitol, it's lam abad to protest the execution of the killer of a a regional governor

>> a sit-in on the edge of baghdad's green zone, the seat of government. riot police fire water canon in brussels. two developing stories out of pakistan where 55 people have been killed and hundreds wounded in a bomb blast in lahore. a suicide attacker attacked where christian families were celebrating the easter holiday. in the capitol, islamabad, police have used tear gas to hold back protesters on the center of government. troops were deployed after about 25,000 demonstrators marched to protest against the hanging.

al jazeera kamal hyder is following these stories from islamabad. let's doo with the attack in lahore. tell us more about what happened. >> the attack ter is said to have attacked the entrance gate. others were just entering into a ballpark which is very popular because it has joy rides and is jam packed on sunday because the children want to go there there would have been some christian community members as well but most of the victims from that suicide bombing where security forces are confirming women and children. we are told 250 people are injured. it's an emergency situation in the hospital and a separate

attempt to save lives. >> stay with us. first of all, we want to talk about protests taking place where kamal is and where demonstrators have been voicing their anger at the execution. this has allowed strong feeling in pakistan. cadri was a policemen. in january, 20s 11, kadri turned on the man he was supposed be protecting and shot him in an islamabad marketplace. he said he killed him because the governor had publispoken out against the blasphemy law. he was sentenced to death and was executed last month after his final appeal was rejected. 100,000 people attended his funeral. earlier this month. kamal, what happened to the thousands of protesters who were protesting the execution of this

man? >> reporter: first of all, this crowd gathered and it was thousands of people out there. then all of a sudden, they decided that they would march on parliament and islamabad. the security forces tried to stop them by putting a container that barricades but the crowd was very large. they wereability break through the police cordon and reach the area in the red zone. islamabad. a scuffle ensued and the forces are to resort to very heavy use of tear gas. we are told that will at the moment, the situation isn't under control but the military has been called in to secure places in the red zone that includes parliament, the supreme court and the foreign ministry and diplomatic enclave.

>> being a critical component of the government. we are told the local admin crowd. the crowd is saying they are not going anywhere. the more danger there may be more supporters trying to come to that place. last year, parliament was paralyzed when a canadian cleric lay siege with a sit-in. this time, the crowd is emotionally charged as well. al dangerous situation but for the most, contained by the security forces and the local administration. >> kamal hyder keeping an eye on those stories. thank you so much. ♪ >> we will take you to syria where isil's 10-month reign over

palmiera is over. government fors say they are in full control of the city. a recapture is a symbolic and strategic victory for president bashar al-assad. taking back the city means they control the desert stretching to the south. it opens up access to the strongholds and the group's self-declared capitol, raqqa. this report from the turkish/syrian border. >> activists inside palmiera have told al jazeera the government forces are in control of the ancient city. whoever controls that city gives them a vantage point and means in military terms, they will be in control of the city, itself. we have reports isil is putting up a tough fit.

we know the government forces are clearing a number of areas. now, the importance of the city palmiera is big for the regime and the russians because it connects another strong hold to the north and to the east. there is an isil, mostly an isil stronghold. >> palmiera is more than 200 kilometers to damascus. it used to be home to 50,000 syrians before isil took control in may of last year. it is a victory for assad due to cultural and strategic value. here are more details. >> reporter: a significant advance against isil in syria. according to state media, government forces backed by russian air power have recaptured the ancient city from isil after days of intention fighting. while there has been no independent confirmation, the syrian observatory for human rights said that by sunday

morning, the bulk of is isil's forces had retreated. >> following a series of large-scale practices, our units operating on the eastern country side of homms fulfilled their mission successfully in the from the city of palmiera. they gained control over the surrounding mountains and ridgized and destroyed bunkers and military gear. >> isil took over palmiera, also a unesco world heritage site last may and began destroying ancients sites and staging mass executions. known as the bride of the desert, it used to attract tens of thousands of tourists before the conflict began. the city isn't simply known for its beautiful ruins. also one of of syria's most feared detention center. thousands much government opponents were reportedly

tortured there. shortly after over taking the city, isil blew up the jail which was empty at the time, destroying an important symbol of government control between damask russ and dejaura. while russia recently withdrew most of it's forces from syria after six months of aerial bombardment, the government of syrian assad has, of late made advances in rebel-held territory recapturing palmiera opens up forces toward the eastern desert stretching to the border and south and raqqa to the east. mohammed jamjun. >> the inflew incial syrian cleric has entered the fortified green zone to pressure the government to carry out reforms. his supporters began a sit-in more than a week ago at the district's gates. their frustration with the prime minister has nod carried out

government reforms to replace members of the cabinet. mobadi said he plans top address it this week. he said the protests would go on. the green zone claims we are at the wall of the green zone and will be at its heart. i am the representative of the iraqi people. i will enter thezine zone myself while you hold your ground here.

>> rose up against american and iraqi forces and a mainstream political figure. he has been rallying his supporters, hundreds of thousands of them at a time in public squares here and lately near the entrance to the green zone. the green zone is where glommats live and work. it's heavily protected. he has threatened that his followers will storm the green zone if these political demands aren't met. he and today and told them they had shown great discipline, they had to continue doing that and that they were to stay put. instead, he said, he would go into the green zone. this significant because very rarely leaves meja. people were weeping as he spoke. he went into the green zone. he was kissed and greeted by senior iraqi security officials and he sat down on the sidewalk. >>, again, speaks volumes.

he says he is a man of the people. he is speaking for all of iraq. and this is a way to put pressure on the iraqi government. he says he intends to stay there until reforms are made. now, the iraqi government, the prime minister wants the reformats. he is trying to reshuffle the cabinet. there is a lot of political resistance. he has on his doorstep almost literally one of his leading it political rivals sitting there basically waiting for him to do something, and very frantic political negotiations going on and expected to continue to go on until he can find a solution to this. >> all right. still to come on the program: brushing up argentina's teeth, the charity teaching the basics to the country's poorest community. in jerusalem where violence cast

a shadow over easter celebrations.

hello again. a reminder of tthe top stories al jazeera. at least 55 people have been killed in a bomb blast in the pakistani city of lahore. police say a suicide bomber attacked a public park where christian families were celebrating easter. the syrian government has made a significant strategic gain against isil recapturing palmiera opening direct routes to the group's stronghold. the prominent syrian cleric has

put pressure on the iraqi prime minister to change his cabinet. we want more now on those events happening in pakistan. with me is dr. shihid kareshi. let's deal with the horrific attack that happened in lahore. it sounds like it was a public park where families have gathered, many christian families have gathered to celebrate easter sunday. why would such a park be targeted? who is likely to be behind it, do you think? >> i think in the last 48 hours we must be aware a naval officer has been arrested who was walking with a falsely passports. he was operating from indias the iranian port. the iranians to be blamed because at a time network has been operated from their soil. this agent has confessed. 500 agents are operating within pakistan who con verdict to --

pretending to be muslims basically, and so that is something, some significant development in the last 48 hours. iranian president was in pakistan and i will take it back to you. a few months ago, there was an attack on christian families where they linked to muonlim a few months ago. when they investigated they found out there was a network involved with these christian groups basically operating from there which was reported widely. now, this attack, it could be a distraction for their agent or the high-profile agent. i will believe that it the complicity of the government because his brother is the chief minister of the prove incident and he hasn't uttered a single word about the modi government or the arrest of this spy, the high-profile spy. it's not like they denied it wasn't there man.

they accepted and are asking for service for this guy. the pakistan chief has de-railed this issue with the iranian president which should ever issue with him but he didn't. yes. i think on the 25th of december on your channel, al jazeera, themodti pakistan said that the government and rashid's family has business interest in india and putting national security at risk because of his personal interest interest. he hasn't said a word about this sxwanl agent. >> happening in the capitol, thousands of people managed to breach the red zone in the capitol, quite a big deal to protest against the execution of muntaz education that kadri he decided to kill, shoot dead the

ex governor to do with the fact that the punjab government spoke out about blasphemy laws. why are so many thousands of people so upset at the execution and the hanging of this man? >> i think he is actually somebody good shooting in his own foot. we have about 8,000 convicted criminals who are waiting to be hanged, waawaiting execution. kadri's case wasn't ready for that. there was a document with the president and there was more information was required but his execution, they called in the relatives at 11:00 o'clock in the night and they summarily executed him to please some sectors he was trying to play that he was very liberal and so what happened as a result was that he hanged and upset a huge majority of the muslim country, of course. >> sure. >> he is trying to do all of

these things. we have 8,000 people who were waiting to be executed by the -- they were convicted by the court of law. he fast tracked the execution. now, they were saying that the eu had something to do with the banning of it. i spoke to -- personnel spoke to the european union. they said they never asked pakistan to stop the execution. they are with the due process of law to be followed. they never asked. >> okay. >> but they have been blackmailing pakistan saying if we execute anything, the european union will stop trading with op trading with

[♪ music ] this week on "talk to al jazeera" - chef and restaurateur marcus samuelsson. >> being able to have windows into three, four different communities is something that i feel privileged to the swedish-raised celebrity cook was born if ethiopia but group in scannedan ava. he and his sister were adopted