Peshawar, Dec 22: The suicide bomber who killed 54 people in Sherpao village mosque in Charsadda district of the NWFP, had packed his explosives vest with ball bearings to inflict maximum casualties, a hospital official has said.

Pakistani police are hunting for clues to find out the main culprits behind Friday’s suicide bombing that killed at least 54 people.

"Many were hit by ball bearings packed into the bomber's suicide jacket, " said Manzoor Khan, working in the main state-run hospital in Charsadda.

"It seems most of the victims died from excessive bleeding, " The News quoted Khan, as saying.

Local police said the head of the suicide bomber had not been located but two severed legs believed to be his were being sent for DNA tests.

"We are probing locally and a team of experts is conducting a high-level investigation into the incident, " said local police officer Gulzar Ahmed.

Ahmed said funeral services were held for 44 of the victims on Friday night. The bodies of others were sent to their home villages in the area, he said.

Former Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao was the apparent target of the attack at the mosque in Charshadda

Sherpao and his son escaped unhurt, but other son was injured in the leg.

Investigators said that the Taliban or al Qaeda militants may be involved in the attack.

It is the second attempt on Sherpao's life since April when a suicide bomber blew himself up just a few feet from Sherpao during a political rally, killing at least 28 people. (ANI)