Two car bombs exploded at a Sunni gathering early Thursday morning in Pakistan's central city of Multan, killing at least 37 Sunni Muslims and injuring dozens of others, said the police.

"We know that 37 people have been killed and over 50 have been injured," said District Police Officer Sikandar Hayat, adding that the death toll might rise further.

Hundreds of Sunni Muslims on Wednesday night gathered in a residential area in the city to remember a slain leader of the banned Sunni extremist military group Sipah Sahapa.

Maulana Azam Tariq, also a member of the National Assembly (lower house of the parliament), was killed with his driver and two body guards by gunmen in the outskirts of Islamabad last year.

The rally lasted until 5 o'clock (0:00 GMT) on Thursday morning when two bombs, one car bomb and one motorcycle bomb exploded, said Hayat.

The police and local aid workers have rushed to the blast site. The injured were sent to hospitals and many of them were in serious condition.

It was believed the blast was a reaction to the suicide attack on a Shiite mosque in the eastern city of Sialkot on Oct. 1, which left 31 people dead and dozens of others injured.