One killed in Quetta blast targeting ATC judge

Published November 11, 2014
Para-military troops inspect the site of the bomb blast in Quetta - AP Photo
Para-military troops inspect the site of the bomb blast in Quetta - AP Photo

QUETTA: One person was killed and 20 were injured in an explosion targeting a vehicle carrying anti-terrorist court judge Nazeer Ahmed Langove in Quetta on Tuesday.

Judge Langove remained unhurt in the blast that took place on Quetta's Double Road, senior police official Imran Qureshi told Dawn, adding that two gunmen guarding the judge were among those injured.

The target of the attack was the judge's vehicle, Qureshi said.

The injured were rushed to Civil Hospital Quetta for medical treatment.

Emergency was also imposed in the hospital. The blast also smashed the glasses of nearby homes and shops in the area. Police reached the spot and started an investigation into the incident.

A number of cars were destroyed in the blast and shops were also damaged in the area.

Balochistan Bar Association condemned the attack and gave the call for a strike in the province today.

Chief Minister Balochistan Abdul Malik Baloch also condemned the attack on the judge.

Quetta is the capital of resource-rich Balochistan province which is home to a long-running separatist conflict that was revived in 2004, with nationalists seeking to stop what they see as the exploitation of the region's natural resources and alleged rights abuses.

In the past few years, the provincial capital has also been a flashpoint for sectarian violence mainly targeting the ethnic Hazara community.

Today's explosion comes as the army is engaged in operations in the northwestern tribal regions of Khyber and North Waziristan and as concerns grow over the increasing footprints of the Islamic State (IS) group in the country.

Opinion

Editorial

Political sacrifice
Updated 30 Nov, 2023

Political sacrifice

Imran deserves praise for displaying political maturity in handling party's chairmanship transition.
‘Quick-fix’ nation
30 Nov, 2023

‘Quick-fix’ nation

THE impulse for policy prescriptions that will quickly ‘fix’ the rotten economy, create tens of hundreds of jobs...
Narcotics menace
30 Nov, 2023

Narcotics menace

WE are watching a tragedy unfold — the curse of substance abuse and addiction hits every fourth household in...
Sindh lawlessness
29 Nov, 2023

Sindh lawlessness

GOVERNMENTS come and go, but little has been done to control rampant crime across Sindh, particularly its lawless...
New compact
29 Nov, 2023

New compact

AS elections approach ever closer without any tangible improvement in the political atmosphere, there has been a...
Climate crossroads
Updated 29 Nov, 2023

Climate crossroads

As Pakistan presents its case at COP28, the focus must be on ensuring that the L&D fund.