Pakistan Elections: 25 Killed, Over 40 Hurt In Blast Outside Balochistan Candidate's Office Day Before Polls

With a day left for the Pakistan elections, an explosion outside the office of a Balochistan candidate killed at least 12 people.

At least 25 people were killed and over 40 others sustained injuries in two separate explosions targeting election candidates in Balochistan, just a day before general elections, news agency ANI reported, citing Pakistan's Geo News.

The blast took place outside the office of independent candidate Asfand Yar Khan Kakar in Pishin’s Khanozai area. According to Geo News, the independent candidate was not present inside his office when the explosion occurred in PP-47 in Pishin.

Taking note of the blast, the Election Commission of Pakistan has sought immediated reports from the provincial chief secretary and the provincial police chief, the Dawn reported.

“The election commission has sought immediate reports from the chief secretary and the Balochistan police chief and directed them to take action against those involved in the incident,” the commission said.

Deputy Commissioner Juma Dad said the bomb that went off was planted on a motorbike outside the office of the candidate. Several others who were injured in the explosion have been hospitalised from treatment.

Balochistan’s caretaker Minister for Home and Tribal Affairs Mir Zubair Khan Jamali expressed regeret of the the deaths and injury and sought a report from the deputy commissioner. He assured that the election process will not be affected by such an attack.

In the first incident, a blast that occurred outside the office of independent candidate Asfandyar Khan Kakar in Pishin district claimed 17 lives and left 30 others wounded, as reported by news agency PTI. Less than an hour later, another bomb blast took place outside the election office of a Jamiat-Ulema Islam-Pakistan in the Killa Abdullah area in which eight people died and 12 others were injured.

Speaking on the incident, a senior police official in Balochistan PanjgurAbdullah Zehri said that the blast outside the election office of candidate Asfandyar Khan Kakar was detonated remotely and was placed in a bag outside the building. “The condition of some of the injured is critical and they have been rushed to Quetta for treatment,” he said, as quoted by PTI. He stated that so far the body count from the blast was 17 but the casualties could rise.

"Terrorists are targeting the election candidates to deter people from going to the polling stations but security personnel are being increased further to ensure the elections go ahead on schedule,” Zehri said, as quoted by PTI. 
A powerful blast had ripped through the election office of a JUI candidate in the Killa Abdullah area and caused great damage in which eight people had already been killed, PTI reported, citing local media reports.

Pakistan Poll Body Confirms Blasts

The two blasts were confirmed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). It said that security had been further enhanced in the province for Thursday's elections. "The perpetrators of these terror attacks will be caught and dealt with,” a spokesperson of the ECP said, as quoted by PTI.

In a statement, Balochistan's Home Minister Jan Achakzai condemned the attacks and announced that elections would be held as per schedule.