A bomb went off near a mosque when people were gathering for a rally to celebrate the birthday of Prophet Muhammad in Mastung district of Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province killing at least twenty five people including a DSP and wounding 50 others. The suspected suicide blast occurred during an Eid Miladun Nabi rally. This is the second major blast in the district in September.
Station House Officer (SHO) Javed Lehri said that the injured are being shifted to a medical facility while an emergency has been imposed in the hospitals. Mastung Assistant Commissioner Atta Ul Munim said that the explosion, which seems to be of a “massive” nature, took place near Madina Mosque. He said that the people had to participate in a procession later, as per Geo News.
The district administration said that Mastung’s Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Nawaz Gashkori is among the deceased. Those critically injured in the blast are being shifted to Quetta with emergency enforced across the city’s hospitals, according to Provincial Caretaker Information Minister Jan Achakzai.
Sindh Interim Chief Minister Maqbool Baqar has condemned the blast, according to a statement from his spokesperson. The chief minister, according to the statement said that those involved in taking the lives of innocent people are the “enemies of humanity”.
Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (JUP) leader Maulana Owais Noorani said in a post on X — formerly known as Twitter — that he was deeply saddened to hear about the deaths and injuries. The political leader, who served as a special assistant to the prime minister in the previous government, termed those involved in the blast as “wretched beasts”.
Recently, as many as 11 people including Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Hafiz Hamdullah were injured in a blast in Balochistan’s Mastung district. Mobile phone footage broadcast on television showed a bloodied Hamdullah being supported by two gunmen as he spoke. Mastung Assistant Commissioner Attaul Muneem told Dawn that 11 people had been injured in the incident.
