On wednesday, Balochistan witnessed a tragic toll as twin bomb blasts rocked the districts of Pishin and Qilla Saifullah, claiming at least 24 lives and leaving scores injured. Concerns surged over security in the run-up to the imminent elections. The explosion in Pishin targeted the election campaign office of independent candidate Asfandyar Khan Kakar, while the bombing in Qilla Saifullah struck outside the election office of JUI-F.
Fatalities numbered at least 14 in Pishin and 10 in Qilla Saifullah, with the death toll expected to rise as injuries were numerous. Security forces swiftly cordoned off affected areas as emergency services launched rescue operations, evacuating the wounded to nearby medical facilities.
Grenade attacks on Tuesday
On Tuesday, a spate of at least nine grenade attacks rattled various precincts across Makran division and the provincial capital, Quetta. Police sources disclosed that assailants, riding motorcycles, hurled hand grenades at a government school in Killi Ahmedzai, situated on the outskirts of Quetta, during the late hours of the evening. The explosive projectile detonated within the school’s courtyard, which had been designated as a polling station, resulting in substantial damage to windows.
The series of attacks, intended to disrupt electoral proceedings, underscored prevailing tensions. Law enforcement authorities successfully thwarted an attack at a government school in Pasni, where an explosive device was discovered and subsequently neutralized. Moreover, incidents included a grenade assault on the residence of BNP-Mengal’s candidate in Awaran district, and an attack on the house of PML-N candidate Mir Mohammad Aslam Buledi in Buleda.
More to read:Voters with Expired National Identity Cards Permitted to Vote in Upcoming General Elections
In Panjgur town, the residences of National Party leader Abdul Qadeer Sajdi and an independent candidate, Dr Noor Baloch, were targeted in separate blasts, yet both escaped unharmed. PPP candidate Agha Gull similarly evaded harm during a grenade attack on his residence. Additionally, an assault on a security forces post in the Tump area of Kech district, where a PRG-7 projectile was fired, caused an explosion near the post but resulted in no casualties.