Pakistan: Eight Blasts Rattle Three Provinces

The topic of my last blog posted a week ago was “Election and Bloodshed Threat” in which I had reiterated that the perpetrators getting arms and funds from abroad want to plunge the country into anarchy and then into civil war.

I had also highlighted threat of bloodshed during general elections scheduled for 11^th May 2013. Prior to the commencement of election campaign in Pakistan, experts had expressed apprehensions that corner meeting of politicians may come under terrorist attacks.

Many of the readers of my blog sent me text messages that I was trying to spread unnecessary chaos. Discussion with my media friends on Tuesday morning once again made me jittery and by the evening a few blasts rocked Karachi and Quetta. Over the last 24 hours at least eight separate blasts have created havoc in three provinces of the country and raised fears of deteriorating law and order situation as the May 11 polls draw nearer.

The attacks since Tuesday evening in Quetta, Karachi, Peshawar and Dera Ismail Khan have led to 11 deaths and have left up to 75 wounded. The latest attack on Wednesday targeted a police station on the outskirts of Quetta, the second blast in the provincial capital since this morning and the sixth since yesterday.

The blast raised the total death toll since yesterday in Quetta alone to six, with up to 60 injured, at least 15 have been injured since this morning. According to police, unknown attackers on motorcycles lobbed a hand-held bomb on the Kechi Baig police station in Quetta’s Sariab area around midday.

Earlier this morning, 13 people including two children were injured in a blast outside a private hospital in Gailani road area of the city. On Tuesday, four explosions left six people dead and up to 45 injured in the city.

Banned extremist outfit, the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ), had claimed responsibility of Tuesday’s attacks, as usual, though this time target was not Hazara community.

Late Tuesday, militants also attacked an election camp of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in Karachi. The blast left at least five people dead and 15 others injured. This led to virtual close down of country’s commercial capital on Wednesday at the call of the MQM in protest of the killings.

Earlier on Wednesday, an explosion near the house of a local Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader injured three people in Peshawar’s Sarki Gate area. Meanwhile, two remotely detonated roadside bombs exploded in Dera Ismail Khan this morning when the convoy of election candidate from PK-68 constituency Israrullah Khan Gandapur was passing through the area, no casualties was reported.

One may recall that some of the quarters have been demanding handing over control to Pakistan Army on the Election Day, but it seems the time has come to demand immediate deployment of troops. This is being demanded because some of the quarters have been demanding deferring election for three years, at least or till withdrawal on Nato forces from Afghanistan is complete.

No political party, be it big or small, wants election to be delayed. Therefore, one has the reasons to believe that elements getting funds and arms from abroad can be solely held responsible for the blasts and killings.