QUETTA/KARACHI/PESHAWAR - The terror spectre got further widened and became more intense as militants attacked the election campaigns of different parties across the country on Wednesday.
At least fourteen people were wounded in rocket attacks and bomb blast in different towns of Balochistan. Eight people were injured in an attack on a Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) public gathering in Harnai district.
Six people were wounded when terrorists hurled a hand grenade at the election office of PML-N’s Haji Lashkari Raisani in Quetta. Meer Allah Dena Sadhani, an independent candidate from PB-29 constituency, narrowly escaped when his caravan was hit by a car explosion in Dera Murad Jamali.
Three people were injured in Sindh when a suicide bomber attacked the convoy of National Peoples Party’s candidate for NA-202, Dr Ibrahim Jatoi, on Indus Highway near Shikarpur Toll Plaza.
Wajid Ali Khan, an Awami National Party candidate from PK-80 constituency, escaped firing by terrorists in Mangora, Swat. Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) officials Wednesday defused a five Kg IED planted outside the election office of ANP candidate from PK-8, Arbab Nazir Ahmad, on Pajaggi Road, Peshawar.
Unidentified armed men lobbed a hand grenade at the electoral office of independent candidate Bahadur Khan Mengal in Nushki. However, no loss of life was reported in the blast. Terrorists had also fitted explosives along with Frontier Corps fort in Chaman near Pak-Afghan border, however, the explosives were found and defused.
JUI-F Balochistan chapter chief Muhammad Khan Sherani and other party leaders were scheduled to deliver speeches in Harnai district. Unknown men opened fire on the public gathering and fired rockets from nearby mountains. Eight people were wounded in the attack and the ensuing stampede who were shifted to Quetta after first medical aid.
The injured were identified as Abdullah, Imdadullah, Inamullah, Noor Ahmed, Molvi Kabeer, Sher Shah, Molvi Dad and a child Bibi Amina. Sherani himself had not reached the site when the attack came, the source said, adding that around 10 rockets were fired from the mountains and at least three of those landed very close to the procession. Banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack.
In the second incident, six people were wounded when unidentified assailants hurled a hand grenade at the election office of PML-N leader Lashkari Raisani on Quetta’s Arbab Ghulam Ali Road.
In Naseerabad, the convoy of independent candidate Mir Allah Dina Umrani was attacked with a remote controlled car bomb near Kachi Bridge in Dera Murad Jamali.
A suicide bomber hit the convoy of NPP candidate for NA-202, Dr Ibrahim Jatoi, on Indus Highway near Shikarpur Toll Plaza. The attack came when Jatoi was on his way to Shikarpur from his village Napearabad for his election campaign. Three people were injured and Jatoi’s bullet-proof land cruiser was badly damaged in the blast but he himself remained safe.
According to eye-witnesses, a man of around 30 years of age was hiding behind a tree and he struck the motorcade with his explosives-fitted bike. The body of the suicide bomber broke into two parts and was brought to Civil Hospital Shikarpur for autopsy. The injured were rushed to different hospitals for medical treatment.
Sources said that an injured suspect was caught by people on the spot and handed over to police. The bomb weighed 15 kilograms, while the attacker was wearing double bullet-proof jackets, the police said. Soon after the suicide attack, Shikarpur-Khanpur Road was blocked and a shutter-down strike was observed in Shikarpur in protest.
Monitoring Desk adds: At least four people sustained severe injuries when the convoy of Pakistan People’s Party candidate for NA-235, Shazia Marri, came under attack in Birani area of Sanghar district on Wednesday.
Shazia Marri remained unhurt in the attack, reported a private TV channel. The injured Miral Marri, Hashim Marri, Waris Marri and Jhuman Marri were hurried to local hospital where they are reported out of danger.