Quetta:
An alleged suicide attack took place on Saturday near the site of a sit-in organized by the Balutchistan National Party (BNP-M) in the Lak Pass area in the Mastung of Balutchistan district.
The leader of BNP-M Sardar Akhtar Mengal and other senior party leaders were present on the protest site when the attacked attacker exploded his suicide vest. Fortunately, everyone has remained unscathed.
The Mengal party had launched a long Wadh step in Quetta against the arrest of the leaders of the Baloch Yakjehti committee (BYC), including Dr. Mahrang Baloch and Sami Deen Muhammad.
According to sources, the Balutchistan government was in contact with the management of BNP-M since the previous night and a BNP-M delegation had already met the local administration.
A government team also had to meet Sardar Akhtar Mengal on Saturday when the incident took place. They said that the government had assured the demonstrators that an in -depth investigation had been launched, the conclusions of which will soon be shared with the public.
After the incident, security has been considerably increased in and around BNP-M for a long time. The authorities have implemented strict measures to ensure security in the region, aimed at preventing other threats, officials said.
The chief minister Sarfaraz Bugti firmly condemned what he described as “alleged suicide bombing”.
In an article on the social media platform X, he assured that the government would investigate the incident. He also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensure the security of BNP-M leaders and participants.
JUI-F also condemned the suicide attack, noting that it is the responsibility of the government to ensure the protection of peaceful demonstrations.
In a statement published on Saturday evening, Jeu-F spokesperson Aslam Ghauri said that the suicide attack on Mengal and his workers were deeply regrettable.
“The constitution of Pakistan allows peaceful demonstrations. Ensuring the security of peaceful demonstrations is the responsibility of the government,” he said.
He said that those who argue for their rights by constitutional means should be fully protected.
“Democrats should not be pushed against the wall. When the voices are ignored in Parliament, people are forced to take to the streets,” he added.
