QUETTA:
At least three people were killed in an explosion in the Hazaganji area of Quetta on Sunday.
According to sources, seven other people were injured and rescue personnel have shifted the casualties to a nearby hospital. The cause of the blast is being ascertained. A large contingent of security forces have cordoned off the area.Â
Police sources said it seems an improvised explosive device (IED) was fixed to a motorcycle.Â
The explosion occurs as the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) kicked off its third power show in Quetta amid heightened security measures owing to a threat alert issued by the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA).
Considering NACTA’s security alert, mobile phone services have been suspended, whereas pillion riding has also been banned in the city. Section-144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) was also imposed in the provincial capital.
More than 4,000 security personnel, including officials from the provincial police force, Frontier Corps and Balochistan Constabulary have also been deployed. A control room has also been set up at the deputy commissioner’s office to monitor the security arrangements in the wake of a possible terror attack.
NACTA had warned that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), in connivance with HIAs, had planned to carry out large-scale terrorist activities in Quetta, targeting political and religious leadership.
The Balochistan government had appealed to the PDM leadership on October 23 to suspend their rally in the wake of the security threat. However, the opposition leaders paid no heed to the warning and started gathering in Quetta on October 24.
