WEB DESK /
At least 42 people were killed in an explosion inside the Civil Hospital in Quetta , Pakistan today, reports Dawn quoting police officials. Over 30 people have also been injured in the attack.
“The blast occurred after a number of lawyers and some journalists had gathered at the hospital following the death of the president of the Balochistan Bar Association in a separate shooting incident early this morning,” said Balochistan Home Secretary Akbar Harifal.
Condemning the attack, Balochistan Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri told local TV channel Geo News that Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) was behind terror incidents in Quetta.
The CM shared this statement with the media before initial investigations into today’s blast were completed, and before the nature of the blast was confirmed.
Zehri said the attack appeared to be a suicide attack, but police are still investigating.
Following the blast in Quetta, Inspector General (IG) police A.D. Khawaja issued a high security alert across Sindh.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the blast in Quetta and expressed his “deep grief and anguish over the loss of precious human lives” in the attack.
“No one will be allowed to disturb the peace in the province that has been restored thanks to the countless sacrifices by the security forces, police and the people of Balochistan,” he said in a statement.
A journalist who was at the scene said, more than 50 mourners were entering the emergency department of the hospital, accompanying Advocate Bilal Anwar Kasi’s body, when the bomb went off. Police said most of the dead were lawyers and several lawyers including the former president of Balochistan Bar Association Baz Mohammad Kakar were injured.
Balochistan has been experiencing incident of violence and targeted killings for more than a decade. More than 1,400 incidents targeting the minority Shia and Hazara community have taken place in the province during the past 15 years.