QUETTA (Kashmir English): Five people were killed and more than 29 were injured in a blast near Shahwani Stadium on Saryab Road in Quetta on Tuesday night, health officials said.
The blast targeted the rally of the Balochistan National Party (Mengal), where BNP chief Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai were also present.
Both leaders remained safe in the blast, police said.
The deceased has been identified as Ishaq, Najeebullah, Shaan, Haneef, and Madad Khan.
The injured people have been shifted to the Quetta Civil Hospital and BMC Hospital.
Health Department spokesperson Dr Waseem Baig said that the injured were provided with first aid in the accident department and then shifted to the trauma center for further treatment.
Police said that four vehicles were damaged in the blast. Police and other law enforcement agencies have cordoned off the area and begun collecting evidence.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti strongly condemned the incident and termed it a cowardly act of enemies of humanity.
He said, “malicious elements were playing with the blood of innocent citizens, vowing that the evil intentions of terrorists would be thwarted at all costs.”
“Instructions have been given to provide the best medical facilities to the injured. Hospital administration and medical staff should remain alert; there should be no negligence in the treatment of the injured,” he said.
The chief minister said those involved in the incident would be brought to justice, and security agencies had been instructed to immediately apprehend the perpetrators.
