Daily Times

The Friday bomb blast in Mastung unmasked the ruthless face of terrorism in Balochistan as among the nine deceased are five young children. Even the most vulnerable are not spared by militants. The Friday blast took place near the Mastung Civil Hospital in which an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated near a police vehicle, reportedly intended to protect a nearby polio vaccination team. Alongside the five schoolchildren, the blast also took the lives of a police official and three civilians, leaving at least 29 others injured, including four police officials.

Whenever children fall in terrorist attacks, it brings back haunting memories of the 2014 Army Public School massacre in Peshawar, where over 140 children and teachers were slaughtered in one of the most brutal terrorist attacks in Pakistan’s history. Now, the Mastung event has shown a disturbing pattern: the targeting of children and civilians, deemed “soft targets” by terrorists. The recent surge of terrorism has targeted Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in particular, in recent months, with August and September seeing surges in violence despite some recent declines.

The escalation in violence has impacted investment and daily life in the country. Many believe that the attack on a school vicinity in Mastung is yet another attempt by terrorists to spread fear and deter initiatives like education and healthcare in Balochistan. The targeting of a police vehicle guarding a polio team is yet another sign of the persistent threat Pakistan faces, where attacks aim not only to instil fear but to hinder developmental and health-related programmes essential to public welfare.

What we can do is condemn terrorist attacks. This incident also brought in scores of statements from Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Zardari lamenting that terrorists. The government’s stance in statements remains firm: such attacks will not shake the resolve to continue promoting education and socio-economic progress across Balochistan.

However, the continuous rise in terrorist incidents, with 1,524 deaths recorded in 2023, shows that the government needs to go beyond statements and take up a consolidated national approach to counter-terrorism. While counter-terror measures have increased, recent events highlight the critical necessity for vigilance among civilians as well, especially in urban centres where attacks often occur. *