A suicide bombing near a political rally in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s Balochistanprovince, has killed at least 15 people. Officials confirmed on Wednesday (September 3) that two of the injured died while receiving treatment at Quetta Civil Hospital. More than 30 others remain wounded, many in critical condition.
The blast occurred on Tuesday night outside Shahwani Stadium, where the Balochistan National Party (BNP) had organized a gathering to commemorate Ataullah Mengal, the province’s first Chief Minister, on his fourth death anniversary.
Leaders and activists from BNP, the National Party, Imran Khan’s PTI, the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, and the Awami National Party were present. Mengal died in 2021.
Provincial authorities said a faction of ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack and released a photo of the bomber. The explosion took place on Sariab Road, about 500 meters from the rally site and roughly 45 minutes after the event ended, according to Balochistan’s Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Hamza Shafqat.
“The incident was beyond control and could not have been prevented, but it is our duty to identify who was behind the attack,” Shafqat told reporters. He confirmed that the attacker, believed to be under 30, carried around 8 kilograms of explosives. Two policemen were among the dead.
BNP leader Ahmed Nawaz, who was injured, told BBC Urdu the blast went off around 200 feet from the rally venue. Balochistan Health Minister Bakht Muhammad Kakar said tight security measures prevented the attacker from entering the stadium itself.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the bombing as “conclusive evidence of the terrorists’ heinous conspiracy to spread chaos in Balochistan.” Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti vowed the perpetrators would be brought to justice, declaring, “Terrorists will not be allowed to destroy peace in the province.”
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but poorest province, borders Afghanistan and Iran. The region frequently suffers from attacks by ISIS militants and separatist groups targeting civilians, security forces, and political gatherings.
