A person was killed while five others, including a cop, sustained injuries in multiple attacks across Balochistan on Thursday, police said.
The incidents came hours before the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was scheduled to hold a high-level meeting to discuss the deteriorating law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan in the lead-up to the Feb 8 elections.
In Quetta, one person was killed in a blast on the CPEC road. SSP Operations Tariq Jawad told Dawn.com that around eight to 10 kilogrammes of explosives were used in the blast.
He said the explosives were planted on the footpath of CPEC road. An electricity pole was also damaged in the blast.
“There was no election programme within the vicinity of the blast,” SSP Tariq said, adding that security was on high alert for election gatherings and further investigations were underway to ascertain the identity of the deceased.
Separately, an additional superintendent, identified as Raza Muhammad, suffered minor injuries in a grenade attack on Quetta’s Shalkot police station. SSP Tariq said unknown persons lobbed a hand grenade at the office.
He added that ASI Muhammad was moved to Civil Hospital for treatment and was out of danger.
A similar incident also took place in Jaffarabad district. According to SSP Faryal Fareed, three persons were wounded when unidentified persons lobbed a hand grenade on a truck parked in Dera Allahyar town along the highway.
Meanwhile, one person was injured in a blast at a market in Turbat. While confirming the incident to Dawn.com, SSP Zia Mandokhail said the wounded person was immediately rushed to the hospital.
The SSP said law enforcement personnel had cordoned off the blast site and were collecting evidence.
A day earlier, a leader of a political party was killed and eight other people, including political workers and two security officials, were injured in separate attacks at election offices and residences of the political party candidates in Balochistan.
