KARACHI: At least 30 people were killed and more than 40 others injured on Wednesday in twin blasts targeting election offices in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province, a day before the general elections in the coup-prone country.
In the first incident, a powerful blast outside the office of independent candidate Asfandyar Khan Kakar in Pishin district killed 20 people and wounded 30 others. Less than an hour later, another blast took place outside the election office of a Jamiat-Ulema Islam-Pakistan in the Killa Abdullah area claiming the lives of 10 people and injuring 22 others, officials said.
No group or individual claimed responsibility for the twin blasts. Several groups, including the Islamist militant Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and separatist groups from Balochistan, oppose the Pakistani state and have carried out attacks in recent months.
Abdullah Zehri, a senior police official in Balochistan Panjgur, said, “Terrorists are targeting the election candidates to deter people from going to the polling stations.”
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) confirmed the two blasts and said 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.
Balochistan’s Home Minister Jan Achakzai condemned the attacks and announced that elections would be held as per schedule.
The attacks came ahead of elections on Thursday for which elaborate security measures have been taken by the authorities. Pakistan’s foreign office said in a statement its western border crossings with Iran and Afghanistan would close and re-open on Friday to ensure security during the election.