At least 26 people were killed and 62 injured after a suicide blast ripped through a Quetta Railway Station on Saturday, local authorities and hospital officials said.
Quetta Division Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat said that the blast was a “suicide attack” primarily on law enforcement agencies, while civilians were also targeted. Shafqaat added that gatherings have been banned in the area while bus stations were on high alert, adding that railways have been requested to close the station and suspend train services. Speaking to the media, he said that besides civilians, “some law enforcement” personnel were also martyred.
According to Reuters, Balochistan Inspector General of Police (IG) Moazzam Jah Ansari said, “The target was army personnel from the Infantry School.” AFP quoted him as saying: “Fourteen members of the army and 12 civilians were killed.” Baig, according to AFP, said 46 members of the security forces and 14 civilians were wounded. The banned militant group Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the blast. Pakistan Railways had previously announced the restoration of train services between Quetta and Peshawar from Oct 11, after a suspension of more than a month and a half.
Train services had been suspended across the country on August 26 after a key railway bridge between Kolpur and Mach was destroyed in a blast carried out by BLA as part of province-wide coordinated attacks.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti appealed to the country to “treat terrorists as terrorists” and appreciate that the state was working to counter their threat. Addressing a joint press conference with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Quetta, the chief minister took aim at human rights activists asking why they remained silent on the attack. “Where are they?” Bugti asked. “They should demand that the government do something about this.” “These people turn the Baloch youth into suicide bombers and pursue politics this way,” he continued. “Terrorists have no nation, this is a battle for all aspects of society – the media, the judiciary, the politicians.” He lamented that the mainstream media only described religiously motivated militant groups as “terrorists”, stating that “terrorists should be treated as terrorists”.
Answering a question, Bugti said, “We have to protect every inch of the state and they have to breach only one inch of the state. That causes a lot of damage.” He said that the Balochistan government took responsibility for the damage, but lamented that there was no appreciation for counterterrorism operations. “CTD conducted an operation in Sohrab, we conducted operations in Musakhel,” Bugti said. Naqvi chimed in and said, “We have caught four or five terrorists in the past week. There are a great many things that don’t reach you (the media).
“This is war, we are not dealing with criminals,” he added. “The Balochistan government has taken the lead and is empowering the FC [Frontier Corps]. You will see results from the CM’s approach.”
The chief minister extended thanks to the health department and trauma centres for their response to the incident. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday conveyed his condolences to President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif following the attack.
COAS reaffirms nation’s resolve, commitment towards eradicating terrorism
Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir said that terrorism would never be tolerated and reaffirmed the nation’s resolve and commitment towards eradicating the menace. The COAS emphasized that this mission would be pursued with full national resolve and collective determination, said an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) news release on Saturday. He underscored that the fight against terrorism required the steadfast support of all Pakistanis, along with the efforts of the military and civil institutions, to secure a peaceful and prosperous future for the country.
Earlier, Namaz-e-Janaza for the Shuhada, who embraced martyrdom in a suicide blast targeting innocent citizens and passengers at Quetta Railway Station, was offered in Quetta Garrison, it further said.
The funeral was attended by General Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Federal Minister of Interior, Governor and Chief Minister Balochistan, provincial ministers and a large number of military and civilian officials. Following the funeral, the COAS visited CMH Quetta and met with the injured of the tragic incident.