06 February 2005	Sunday	26 Zilhaj 1425

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DERA GHAZI KHAN/QUETTA, Feb 5: Unidentified saboteurs blew up a gas pipeline in Punjab and a railway track in Balochistan on Saturday.

Gas supply to several cities in southern Punjab and a power generation plant was suspended following an explosion in the main pipeline originating from Dhodak gas and oil fields in Taunsa, 90km from D. G. Khan, on Saturday night.

The blast occurred at 8.30pm at Mangrotha East. It suspended gas supply to Dera Ghazi Khan, Kot Addu, Taunsa Sharif and KAPCO power plant.

The Dhodak plant manager confirmed the blast but said it was not clear whether it was a terrorist activity or an accident. He said that gas supply from the plant had been suspended.

It is the third blast in DG Khan during the last week. In the earlier two blasts, railway track was damaged in Shadan Lund and Kot Chhutta.

DG Khan and Rajanpur districts, it may added, are situated along the troubled Kohlu and Dera Bugti areas of Balochistan.

The Baloch nationalists want the two Suleman range districts of Punjab annexed with their province.

According to our reporter in Quetta, the railway track linking Quetta with Zahidan was blown up near Zangiabad area of the Chaghai district on Saturday night.

Unknown miscreants had planted a bomb at the railway track which exploded at around 8.50pm, official sources said from Nushki.

"Around two and half feet long railway track was blown up by the powerful blast," the sources said. No causality was reported.

The railway authorities said that a Quetta-bound passenger train coming from Zahidan reached Quetta safely at 6.10pm. The train service on the Quetta-Zahidan section remained undisturbed as Pakistan Railway runs a weekly train service on this route.

Sources said that unknown persons used a local-made powerful device for the explosion.

Officials rushed to the scene of blast on being informed and supervised repair work.

This was the second blast on this section during the last 48 hours.

On Thursday, unidentified people had blown up the same track near Wali Khan Village in Mastung district.