QUETTA: Three children were injured in a grenade attack on the election office of a PPP candidate in the industrial town of Hub, with unknown individuals carrying out six more grenade attacks, including those on proposed polling stations, on Monday.

Police said that unknown motorcyclists attacked the election office of PPP’s Balochistan Assembly candidate Mir Ali Hassan Zehri near Jumma Khan Hotel. The explosion occurred close to the election camp, resulting in injury to three children.

Soon after the blast, police rushed to the site and shifted the injured children to the district hospital in Hub. Mr Zehri was not present in the election camp when the grenade exploded. The injured children were later transferred to Ziauddin Hospital in Karachi.

Officials said that another grenade attack took place at the election office of a PPP candidate, exploding in close proximity to the election office. However, no casualties were reported in the attack; only the camp was damaged.

Six more incidents target camps, proposed polling stations

Three blasts occurred in the Kharan area of Rakhsan division, where unknown armed men targeted school buildings proposed for polling stations. Several school buildings, including a girls’ school, were damaged in the grenade attacks.

Officials said that late on Sunday night, a powerful motorcycle explosion occurred in Kharan town, targeting the senior police officer posted in the district.

“An explosive-laden motorbike was parked at the site, which was detonated with a remote control when the police officer was passing through the area in his vehicle,” a police official said, adding that the officer remained unhurt.

Reports from Panjgur suggested that unknown individuals opened fire at the residence of Mir Asad Baloch, the president of the Balochistan National Party-Awami (BNP-A). Following the gunfire, a grenade was also hurled at Mr Baloch’s house. Security guards returned fire, causing the attackers to flee from the site.

The house of the ex-deputy chairman Senate and PPP candidate for the National Assembly from Turbat-Panjgur, Sabir Baloch, was also attacked in Panjgur, where armed men opened fire at his residence.

“Some bullets hit my house,” Mr Baloch said, adding that no loss of life occurred in the gun attack. He condemned the firing at his home.

However, no casualties were reported in the firing and grenade attacks in different areas of the province.

Over the last few days, about 40 grenade attacks were carried out at election camps of the candidates in 10 districts of Balochistan.

“As many as 15 blasts were reported in nine districts of the province, which include Turbat, Panjgur, Gwadar, Mastung, Kalat, Khuzdar, Sibi, Surab, and Quetta,” officials said, adding that in these attacks, camp offices of PPP, BN-Mengal, National Party, BNP-Awami, and other parties were targeted.

In Sibi, the election rally of a PTI candidate for the National Assembly was targeted, which claimed four lives and injured six PTI workers.

Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2024