Blasts target independent candidate office in Pishin, JUI-F\u2019s leader in Killa Saifullah on eve of general elections
\nQUETTA
\nAt least 28 people were killed while over 40 suffered injuries after back-to-back blasts hit Balochistan\u2019s Pishin and Qila Saifullah on Wednesday, officials said.
\nThe incidents come a day before general elections are scheduled to be held in the country. Pakistan has recently witnessed an uptick in terrorism, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, raising security concerns.
\nThe first blast occurred in Pishin\u2019s Khanozai union council, situated at an hour\u2019s distance from Quetta, a little after noon.
\nThe district\u2019s deputy commissioner, Jumma Dad Mandokhail, told media that the incident occurred outside the election office of independent candidate Asfandyar Kakar, who is contesting polls from PB-47 (Pishin 1).
\nHe said 14 bodies and 23 injured were moved to the tehsil headquarters hospital.
\nDC Mandokhail said the explosive material was planted in a motorcycle parked in the area. The police, bomb disposal squad and other law enforcement agencies immediately cordoned off the area and began collecting evidence, he added.
\nThe second blast was reported in Qila Saifullah shortly after. According to Deputy Commissioner Yasir Bazai, 12 people lost their lives and 20 were wounded in the incident, which took place outside the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) election office.
\nBazai later revised the death toll down to 10, adding that critical persons were being moved to Quetta via a helicopter.
\nIn separate statements, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) took notice of the blasts and summoned reports from the Balochistan chief secretary and the provincial police chief.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Blasts target independent candidate office in Pishin, JUI-F\u2019s leader in Killa Saifullah on eve of general elections QUETTA At least 28 people were killed while over 40 suffered injuries after back-to-back blasts hit Balochistan\u2019s Pishin and Qila Saifullah on Wednesday, officials said. The incidents come a day before general elections are scheduled to be held […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":385920,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-385898","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n