The identity of the suicide bomber who attacked on Thursday a group of police officers in Lahore is still unknown.

Pakistani investigators were still conducting an investigation to identify him on Friday. The attacker is a suspected Islamist militant.

On Thursday the attacker was asked by the police to stop his motorcycle outside the High Court in Lahore where hundreds of police officers were gathered for rally.

Initially reports said that 21 people were killed, but according to city police chief Malik Mohammad Iqbal the toll was of 16 police officers and three civilians, Reuters reports.

The accident from Thursday raised fears ahead of the elections due February 18 that could shake the power of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

Iqbals said: "We have found the head and legs of the bomber but they are in very bad shape because he used very high explosives. We are trying to establish his identity. We have sent his limbs for DNA tests."

The attack came just two weeks after the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto and 20 other people.  

It’s also the first suicide attack in two years to occur in Lahore.

Lahore is known for being the political centre of Pakistan and a very populated city, the capital of the province.

According to a security official, the suicide bomber was believed to be from a militant group.

He said: "The police department has asked three intelligence agencies to help them out in identifying the terrorist and his outfit."

Javed Iqbal Cheema, spokesman of the Interior Ministry, said: "It's too early to say who was involved but it's certainly part of the same wave of suicide bombings."

The elections due next month are for a lower house of parliament. The new prime minister and government will be drawn from here.  

Initially they were scheduled on January 8, but because of Bhutto’s assassination they were postponed.