Death toll from suicide blast at BNP rally in Quetta rises to 15

• Eight of the 38 injured being treated at trauma centre: minister.
• President, PM condemn terrorist incident, express condolences.
• Case registered with murder, anti-terror provisions, says CTD spox.
  

QUETTA: The death toll from the suicide blast at Balochistan National Party’s (BNP) rally on Quetta's Sariab Road has risen to 15, Balochistan Health Minister Bakht Muhammad Kakar said on Wednesday.

With regards to the injured, Kakar said that out of the 38 wounded in the explosion, eight are currently being treated at the trauma centre, and an investigation committee has been formed to probe the incident.

"The suicide bomber could not reach the rally venue due to extremely tight security arrangements," the minister said.

A day earlier, the blast ripped through a busy area near Quetta's Shahwani Stadium in the evening, leaving several of the wounded in critical condition.

With the Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti directing the authorities to shift the wounded to Karachi if needed, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have issued strong condemnations over the terror attack targeting a political gathering of the Balochistan National Party (BNP).

Expressing grief and solidarity with the bereaved families, President Zardari directed relevant institutions to launch a comprehensive investigation into the incident and ensure that the perpetrators were brought to justice.

The president also prayed for the swift recovery of the injured and issued directives to concerned officials to provide them with the best possible medical treatment.

PM Shehbaz, as per the statement issued from the PM's Office, also condemned the attack in the strongest terms and expressed deep sorrow and anguish over the loss of precious lives.

The PM characterised the assault on the political rally as "damning evidence of the nefarious conspiracy by terrorists to spread chaos in Balochistan". He asserted that "terrorists are the enemies of peace and development in Balochistan".

"We will continue the war against terrorism until the complete eradication of this menace," the premier stressed, adding that He further stated that attacks on innocent and unarmed citizens are "cowardly and condemnable".

Separately, a case has been registered against unidentified individuals over the suicide attack featuring murder, attempted murder and anti-terrorism provisions, said a spokesperson of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD).

"The remains of the suicide bomber have been taken into custody and will be sent for forensic analysis," the spokesperson added.

The latest terror incident comes against the backdrop of increased attacks particularly in its Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

According to a report released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an Islamabad-based think tank, the country witnessed 78 terrorist attacks during June, which resulted in at least 100 deaths. Among the fatalities were 53 security personnel, 39 civilians, six militants, and two members of local peace committees.

A total of 189 people were injured, including 126 members of the security forces and 63 civilians. Altogether, the violence and operations led to 175 deaths in June — among them, 55 security personnel, 77 militants, 41 civilians, and two peace committee members.

'More suicide bombers'

Briefing the media today, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Hamza Shafqaat said that eight kilogrammes of explosives was used in the suicide attack.

"Permission for the rally was not being given but there was pressure [to do so] from the organisers," he said.

Noting that the suicide bomber could not be identified but he was less than 30 years old, Shafqaat said that the government had provided security for the BNP's rally with 120 police personnel being deployed, and that the damage would have been much greater had the blast — which occurred 45 minutes after the rally had culminated — taken place at the rally's venue.

"The organisers of the rally were told three times to end the rally," the official said, while highlighting that the allotted time for the rally was 3pm and the explosion occurred at 9pm.

"There are some details that we cannot share at this time, as it will be premature [to do so].

"The security threat issued by the administration should be taken seriously. If the organisers had taken it seriously, this would not have happened," he added.

Apprising the media of further security risks, the official said that there is a threat from 22 individuals who have entered Balochistan.

"Suicide bombers may also be among those entering Balochistan," he said.

'No rallies after sundown'

Reflecting on the Sariab Road blast, Shafqaat termed the incident unfortunate and stressed that it nothing could be done to prevent it — due to the nature of it being a suicide attack.

"The Sariab incident was out of [our] control," he remarked, while further highlighting that there is a threat alert for Rabi ul Awal 12 as well.

"[The govt] issued the permission for the rally and takes responsibility [for the incident]," he said.

Noting that the political party was duly apprised of the security threat, the additional chief secretary said that from now on the government will not allow rallies and gatherings to be held after sundown.

On the overall security situation, Shafqaat recalled that more than 100 people died during August 2024; however, no civilians died during the same month this year.

Noting that Tamp assistant commissioner was safe, he said efforts were underway to recover Ziarat AC.

— With additional input from APP