Two back-to-back bomb blasts have killed at least 26 people and injured several in Pakistan’s Balochistan province on the eve of general elections.
According to the police, the first blast took place outside the election office of independent candidate Asfandyar Kakar in Pishin. Reportedly, Kakar is contesting elections from NA-265 constituency and Balochistan Assembly constituencies PB- 47 and PB-48 in the February 8 elections.
However, the second blast was reported in Qila Saifullah shortly after the first attack.
Earlier, the city’s deputy commissioner, Yasir Bazai said that 12 people were killed in the blast, which took place outside the JUI-F’s election office.
The injured people were to the Tehsil Hospital Khanozai, while the bodies have also been transferred, the hospital’s MS Dr Habib told Geo News.
Dr Habib said most of the injured are in critical condition.
After the blast, an emergency has been imposed across hospitals in Quetta for which additional staff has also been called, the provincial health secretary told Geo News.
Following the attacks, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari condemned the “terrorism” incident in Pishin, adding that the conspirators involved should be brought to justice.
“Targeting innocent people is a barbaric act,” the former foreign minister said.
He further said that the federal and Balochistan governments should identify the elements involved and bring them to justice.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief and sorrow over the lives lost in two blasts in Pishin and Qila Saifullah in Balochistan, as reported by Dawn.
“These cowardly terrorist attacks a few hours before the elections cannot dampen our spirits,” he said.
Caretaker Interior Minister Gohar Ejaz strongly condemned the attack outside the JUI-F’s office in Balochistan’s Qila Saifullah, adding that he shared the grief of the bereaved families.
“Inciteful elements want to create chaos before the general elections and stop the public from exercising their right to vote,” he said in a post shared on X.
He further called the attack an “extremely cowardly act”, Ejaz asserted that the government would “not let the evil intentions of the enemy succeed at any cost”.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has taken notice of the blast and summoned a report from the Balochistan chief secretary and Inspector General of Police (IGP), as per Geo News.
An ECP spokesperson said that directives have been issued to take action against those involved in such incidents.
Pakistan is set to witness the general elections tomorrow (February 8), ahead of which, such reports of blasts have been seen in the country.