Dozens killed, injured in blasts at election offices in Balochistan

KABUL (Pajhwok): At least 27 people have been killed and 30 others wounded in two separate explosions at election offices in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, media reports said on Wednesday.

The first blast took place in Khanozai area of  Pishin district outside an election campaign office of an independent candidate Asfand Yar Kakar, the province’s Caretaker Information Minister Jan Achakzai confirmed.

He said 24 people had been killed and more than 30 wounded in the blast. Asfandyar Kakar was not present at the time of the explosion. “The bomb had been planted on a motorbike parked in the premises,” he added.

Later on Wednesday, a second bombing happened at the election office of politician Fazlur Rehman’s Jamiat Ulema Islam party in the town of Qilla Saifullah.. It killed at least 10 people.

The explosives had been planted on a motorbike, Muhammad Shah Zarsheen, head of the Qilla Saifullah police station said.

“The JUI-F election office had already received a threat of bombing and we had already alerted security there,” Zarsheen said.

“Also, we had warned the JUI-F activists not to allow parking of motorbikes in their election office, but they ignored it, resulting in the tragic incident.”

Mir Zubair Khan Jamali, Balochistan’s caretaker Minister for Home and Tribal Affairs, said the election process would not be disrupted by the attacks.

Pakistan, particularly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, has experienced a significant surge in violence leading up to the election.

Pakistan is will vote to elect a new parliament on Thursday with at least 44 political parties in the fray for a share of the 266 seats that are up for grabs in the national assembly and an additional 70 seats reserved for women and minorities.

About 128 million Pakistanis are eligible to cast their vote in the general election amid a severe economic crisis and an inflation rate as high as almost 30 per cent.

kk/ma

Views: 29