At least 24 people were killed and over 30 injured in two separate bomb blasts targeting the offices of candidates contesting the Feb 8 general elections in Pishin and Killa Saifullah districts of Balochistan on Wednesday.
According to details, the terrorism act in Killa Abdullah was carried out outside an election office of Maulana Abdul Wasay, a JUI-F leader, as people had gathered on the premises for a meeting.
However, Wasay, who is a JUI-F candidate from PB-3, wasn’t present in the meeting when the bomb blast rocked the area, as the investigators are trying to ascertain the nature of the explosion by collecting evidence from the site.
Balochistan Caretaker Information Minister Jan Achakzai put the number of deaths at 12 and injured at eight. However, there are fears that the death toll may climb.
Earlier in the day, 12 people were killed and 25 injured in an explosion at the election office of a candidate in Pishin, Balochistan, less than 24 hours before Pakistan goes for polling.
The terrorists targeted the office of Asfandyar Yar Khan Kakar – an independent candidate for PB-47 – at Khanozai Bazaar which houses the local administration offices. He is a former Balochistan Assembly member and provincial minister.
Soon after the deadly explosion, the law enforcers and security officials as well as administration officials reached the spot and started the rescue efforts with the help of locals.
According to the local officials, the severely injured persons are being shifted to Quetta which is around 78 kilometres south of Khanozai and 191 kilometres southwest of Killa Saifullah.
Meanwhile, emergency has been declared at the Civil Hospital Quetta as the health facility is tackling a number of seriously wounded persons.
With the law enforcing agency busy in securing the crime scene and launching a preliminary probe, there are reports that the bomb in Pishin was planted in a bike parked outside the premises.
Reacting to the Pishin terror attack news, Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi said no sacrifice could deter the people of Pakistan from participating in the democratic process.
“We are not facing the security challenges for the first time. The people of Pakistan have fought this war for over a decade now,” Solangi said, adding that a total of 666 people had lost their lives during the 2018 elections.
On the other hand, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) took notice of the terror attacks and sought a report from the Balochistan chief secretary and the police chief, directing them to take stern action against the perpetrators.
The latest bombings have taken place as terrorists have targeted the candidates and their supporters in recent weeks not only in Balochistan but also Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in an attempt to sabotage the election process and impact the outcome.
More to follow
