Daily Times

An explosion in Balochistan’s Sibi killed at least four people and injured more than 35 on Tuesday during President Arif Alvi’s trip to the city.

Soon after the incident, security forces cordoned off the area and rescue services shifted the injured to nearby medical facilities. According to police, evidence is being collected and an initial investigation to determine the nature of the blast is being conducted. The blast took place reportedly during President Arif Alvi’s visit to the annual Sibi Mela. Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo strongly condemned the blast and directed the authorities to provide the best possible aid to the injured.

He vowed to thwart “all conspiracies” and directed law enforcement agencies to arrest those involved in the attack.

Condemning the attack ANP Chief Asfandyar Wali Khan said that a series of terrorist acts is a wake-up call for the government. He said that ANP had repeatedly demanded full implementation of the National Action Plan.

“Action must be taken against terrorists without any discrimination,” he said. “They have repeatedly shown that terrorist groups have re-organized. Serious and concrete steps should be taken to avoid further destruction and bloodshed.”

On Friday, at least 62 worshippers were martyred and nearly 200 injured when a suicide bomber targeted an imambargah in the city of Peshawar.

In the attack, a lone suicide bomber shot the police guards at the entrance to a packed mosque at Peshawar’s historic Qissa Khwani Bazar before detonating his explosives-laden vest in the middle of worshippers offering Friday prayers. The bombing followed a string of similar incidents in war-torn Afghanistan, whose border lies just about an hour away, where several imambargahs were targeted after the Taliban took control of the country last August.