- Grenade hurled at NP chief Abdul Malik Baloch’s house
- Election official’s daughter hurt in Kharan attack
- BDS foil terror bid in Peshawar
Violence targeting election officials, political leaders and workers continued across the country on Sunday, as two Awami National Party (ANP) workers lost their lives in a gun attack in Pishin district of Balochistan, while National Party (NP) leader escaped a grenade attack on his house in Turbat.
In a separate attack in Kharan town of Balochistan, unidentified militants threw a hand grenade at the residence of an election commission officer Hashim Baloch, resulting in injuries to his daughter.
Per details, three people including two political activist, were killed while one other received bullet injuries in Pishin, 60kms north of Quetta on Sunday.
Sources said an unidentified man opened indiscriminate fire on a group of people in Karbalavillage of Pishin and escaped. As a result, two of them were killed on the spot while the third received injuries. The attacker was followed by the people from the village, who overpowered him and brought him back to the village.
After interrogating the assailant, the villagers shot him dead. The deceased were identified as Mustafa and Naseebullah, activists of ANP, while the injured was named Khan Mohammad.
Pishin Deputy Commissioner Hashim Khan Ghilzai said the incident had nothing to do with politics and elections, rather all four were friends and one of them got enraged over a personal matter and opened fire on the rest, killing two and injuring the third.
He said villagers later apprehended the attacker and killed him in front of over 1,200 people. Ghilzai said killers had been identified and would be arrested soon.
In Turbat a grenade went off outside the residence of National Party President Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, creating panic among party workers. However the explosion caused no damage except to a few vehicles.
A meeting of party workers was being held inside the house of NP President Dr Malik Baloch when the blast took place.
National Party Information Secretary said Jan Buledi said a corner meeting of the NP was underway in Turbat with around 300 to 400 workers present, including party president Dr Malik Baloch, Mir Akram Dashti, Azeem Baloch and others. He said that the premises, where attack was carried out, was being used as Election Cell of the party.
In Kharan, militants threw a hand grenade at the residence of an election commission officer, levies officials said.
A Levies official said militants on a motorcycle hurled a handheld bomb at the residence of Muhammad Hashim Baloch, an election officer.
He said the daughter of Hashim Baloch was injured during the blast. The explosion also damaged window panes and glass in the house. Levies officials said militants escaped unhurt from the spot.
In Peshawar, the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) averted a possible bid of terrorism by defusing a bomb in Bazidkhel, a sub-urban area of Peshawar, police said.
According to details, after receiving information regarding the presence of a suspected object, officials of BDS rushed to the spot and found a bomb that had been planted by miscreants to target a local peace committee.
After recovering the bomb, BDS defused it successfully.
“Around 10 kilograms of explosives was used in making the bomb,” a BDS official said.