Fatalities from Quetta blast climb to 15 amid threat of ‘more suicide bombers’
Presdient, PM condemn the heinous act
Staff Report
QUETTA: The fatalities from the Quetta blast, targeting Balochistan National Party (BNP) has risen to 15, Balochistan Health Minister Bakht Muhammad Kakar said on Wednesday as the government has further warned of possible suicide bombers entering the province
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 SarfrazBugti 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 AsifZardariand Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed relevant institutions to launch a comprehensive investigation into the incident and ensure that the perpetrators were brought to justice.
They also prayed for the swift recovery of the injured and issued directives to concerned officials to provide them with the best possible medical treatment.
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 Medico-Legal Department of the Health Department, Government of Balochistan, Civil Hospital Quetta (Sandman Provincial Hospital) has released the list of those killed in the Shahwani Stadium tragedy.
According to Police Surgeon Dr. Ayesha Fayyaz, 15 people belonging to different areas were martyred in this tragic incident. They include: Bashir Ahmed son of Abdul Khaliq (Samalani, Panjpai), Muhammad Ishaq son of ToorBaz (Mengal, Noshki), Najibullah son of Habibullah (Mengal, Kalat), Haji Muhammad Hanif son of Haji Mushtaq (Niazi, Police Line), Allah Bakhsh son of Imam Bakhsh (Zehri, JhalMagsi), Najibullah son of Asadullah (Qambrani, Kharan), Nasrullah son of Saifullah (Baloch, Kechi Beg), Abdul Nabi son of Abdul Rashid (Baloch, Kechi Beg), Shan son of Panal (Bhatti, Gandawah), Muhammad Ahsan son of Rudin Khan (Mengal, Noshki), Arshad son of Manthar (Rajput, Sanghar), Madad Khan son of Noor Muhammad (Mengal, Noshki), Waqar Ahmed son of Khuday Rahim (Kashanj, Dalbandin), Ali Nawaz son of Bakhsh Muhammad (Lehri, Quetta) and Hafizullah son of Faizullah (Samalani, Panjpai).
‘Threat from 22 individuals’: Briefing the media today, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) HamzaShafqaat 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.
