A powerful blast killed at least 11 and injured 13 others when a bomb was detonated on Gulistan Road in the Murriabad area of Quetta on Wednesday.
Capital City Police Officer Quetta (CCPO) Ahsan Mahboob said that the blast was a suicide attack.
Mahboob added that the bomber was driving a car laden with about 40kg of explosives. The attacker targeted a Shia congregation that was offering Eid prayers in a mosque. The bomb was detonated when the people were returning home after Eid prayers.
Earlier, Home Secretary Naseebullah Bazai said that it is not confirmed whether it was suicide attack or if the explosive device was planted in the car.
Bazai added that officials are collecting evidence from the blast site.
A police official said that it may be a sectarian attack as it took place in a Shia dominant area.
Some of the injured were shifted to the Civil Hospital and Bolan Medical College for treatment. Others were rushed to the Provincial Sandeman Hospital through private vehicles and Edhi. Five people succumbed to their injuries.
The blast also destroyed 10 cars and several houses in the vicinity.
Authorities fear a rise in the number of casualties and have declared an emergency at the Civil Hospital after the incident.
Police have cordoned off the area and investigations are underway.
The Shia community of Quetta has announced that it will observe seven days of mourning to condemn the attack.
Members of the Shiite community also gathered and staged a protest at the site of the blast where they chanted slogans against the government.
COMMENTS (54)
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this all have only one solution to be true muslim n sheya just call immam mehdi (a.S) to come n to save us just he can save ur bas labaaik ya immam (a.s)
@ RI
You are right to some extent. As the governments are not bothered of such a serious issue of killing of innocent people then, whatever the consequences may be, not only Hazaras but all the peace loving citizens would have to join in and fight back with these religious terrorists.
@Sahira: I smell the sense of arrogance and hatred in ur post!
my sincere condolences to all there in pakistan & also a home to my ancestry(sindh) karachi has become a blood bath in recent year i hope that all of pakistanis and indians should nt die such disgusting deaths god's justice will prevail all the terrorist should remember the faces of those killed in such incidents and especially there family
I feel sorry for the innocent hazaras who lost their loved ones. God may rest their soul in peace.
@Sahira: not point scoring surely..just an eye opener as to what living in "harmony" is all about!!
Oh my god Plz save us, they even don't want that we should be happy in our eid. our hazara are being killed. what is our fault????? Our fault is we are shia, that's why?? our fault is we are hazara, that's why???
@Qudsia: "10 more families devastated. 10 more stories of heart wrenching pain written into the history of this land. WHEN will this madness end?"
It will end when al Pakistanis will unite to fight common enemies like hunger, illiteracy, corruption, unemployment which have no language, religion or ethnicity. The energy to fight these scourges will come when you stop trying to rid the world of kafirs by defining anyone with different beliefs as a kafir.
@Sahira: Shame on you - are are justifying these heinous crimes??
Act of barbarism & Satanic. Until & unless we all unite, irrespective of sects & languages, against our common/hidden enemies, we shall not be able to save the innocent people of Pakistan. Our deepest condolence for the families of martyred & may Allah send all the bombers/terrorists & their masterminds/supporters to the hell.
there was a bomb blast on both pakistan's independence day as well as on the day of eid-ul-fitre. what does thi mean? to be frank, it means pakistan is suffering from an acute identity crisis. it is neither at peace with itself in the sense of being a modern free state/republic(as evident from the trouble on independence day) nor is it at peace with itself in the religious sphere (as evident by this blast today) , which was the sole reason for the creation of this sectarian state of pakistan.
Let us for once be ready to introspect and find and address the ills that are ailing our nation instead of blaming everyone including India, USa, Israel, Jews.....!!!
The senseless acts of violence continue even on the rejoicing day of Eid. Our condolences go out to the families of the victims. Does this latest attack not remind us that the goal of the terrorist organizations is to push Pakistan further into chaos and fear? These terrorists are responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent Pakistanis. Could we even begin to imagine the loss parents, family members, siblings and friends feel? Conspiracy theorists continue in their attempt to hide reality and mislead us into believing that the so called Mujahidin are fighting a war of liberation… by killing their own people? The real truth, dear readers, is that it is terrorists like these who target Muslim gatherings at mosques, markets, bus stations, banks, and shrines, to claim the maximum number of innocent lives. Isn’t creating mayhem and terror their only objective? Don’t the terrorists boastfully take credit for bombings without remorse? We say again… peace can only prevail when these terrorists, the enemies of humanity, are destroyed. It is being done so our coming generations does not have to live in constant fear.
@ Sahira - you totally miss Johar's point. He is making a very valid point that it is very disheartening that the land that was created to protect Muslims is only here to protect Salafi-Wahabis and everyone else can get lost. We don't respect human rights. That's not about being Muslim or not Muslim. There are plenty of wonderful Muslim nations which protect human rights. There are plenty of wonderful non-Muslim nations where Muslims feel safe.
Pakistan is not safe for Muslims or non-Muslims. We MUST shut down the terrorists. Use all the drones required to destroy them. We must shut off their funding. We must shut down the extremist madrassas. We must make sure our textbooks teach the truth and not religious hatred. We must stop believing crazy people like Zaid Hamid.
That's what Johar is saying.
Until & unless we all unite, irrespective of sects & languages, against our common/hidden enemies, we shall not be able to save the innocent people of Pakistan. Our deepest condolence for the families of martyred & may Allah send all the bombers/terrorists & their masterminds/supporters to the hell. Amen!!!
RIP. All this death and distruction has not yet moved the nation. I wonder , how many more have to die until your government and army decides to act on the terror network. I am really surprised that , no one seem to be questioning the government or the army ? Why are they not stopping this madness ? Why the civil society does not care ? Why there is no public anger against this madness ? How many more tears to wake you up ?
Eid Mubarak
This iz happen in our place o my Allah the almighty please save hazara people v have no more strenght to give our beloved one o my GOd please help us out 4rm diz bad sitiution. diz tarorists make life of us difficult today is eid day but here :(i saw at morning da boys girls men women full in blood dead bodies n injured on eid day my heart is crying for there families govt not supporting us what to do... please GOd help us i dont no what is our fault..
My sincere condolences to the families who suffered the loss of their dear and near. I am sorry to say that the more I try to understand Pakistan the more I get confused. Not even on Eid someone stop having killing thoughts. I do not understand what is going on in the country of Faiz and Fraz.
I am just waiting for someone to say...Islam is a religion of Peace and some people have hijacked it for their own personal ends....
@R S JOHAR:
Agree with you. I am occasionally visiting India to meet my relatives in Mumbai and Meerut, UP.
Believe me.. I am not exaggerating or overrating.. Myself felt more safe in Mumbai than in Karachi.
Inshallah it should happen in Karachi also.
How do we know these murderous and power hungry baloch seperatist traitors arent behind this?
and these terrorists claim that they are muslims....THESE TERRORIST ARE NOT MUSLIMS FROM ANY POINT AND ANY PART OF THEIR BODY.........THEY ARE JUST FILTHY TERRORIIST and Nothing....
@R S JOHAR: Just because all Muslim countries from Libya to Tunisia to Egypt to Syria to Yemen to Somalia to Afghanistan to Pakistan have challenges does not mean they do not deserve independence. Save your tricks and snide comments for your Indian friends. Yes there are challenges in Pakistan as there are in all Muslim countries but we will work them out in time. As for much of the violence in Pakistan, it is orchestrated by Indian agents working with their lackeys in Afghanistan. As for state terrorism in Kashmir, you people have mastered this for the past 60 odd years.
@Sahira: Wow Sahira, why this hatred??? Johar Sahib is a friend who originates from Chakwal from our part of Punjab and is genuinely interested and concerned with the happenings in the land of his origin. He is raising a very valid point that we, as Pakistanis, should seriously consider. The point is that Pakistan's raison d'etre was the safety and security of Muslims in a Muslim land and yet, one segment of our population is so mercilessly targeted and annihilated by our own on the holy occasion of Eid. And in contrast, in India the Muslims are enjoying Eid in safety and security guaranteed by the State. So in which part of the sub-continent is Pakistan's purpose of establihment truly present and firmly rooted. While you may not completely agree with his premise, his point is not without merit. One of the greatness of a nation is the ability to self-criticize. Please consider it.
As i always say.. Separate state and religion.... these two never go hand in hand... The more you get inside religion, the more you will suffer..
My heart weeps for the families that lost a loved one...it doesnt matter whether I am an Indian ora Pakistani. We are meree mortal human beings......
I have a suggestion that the Federal Govt in Pakistan should form a dedicated organisation that compensates the families who lose a bread winner in all such violent incidents ...a reasonable sum of money. All such awards should be listed on their websites and free education and reserved employment should be made available. Call it the Shaheed Mouhtrama Bhutto Benevolence Fund.
I strongly condemn this attack, the killer of innocent people, aren't belong to any religions, they trying to destabilize the country and fulfill their boss aims. I am praying to the victims families may Allah bless them and provide them spirit of patience.
@sahira I think all Johar was trying to highlight the fact that Pakistan is supposed to be a kind of safe haven for Muslim but it has in fact become the opposite in some cases. Everyone's comments have merit even if they do not outline what it is you wish to hear. May the families of the victims find some comfort in their time of need. R.I.P.
@Sahira
It was sure not to score any points.
As another Indian and most importantly another human being, my heart goes out to all those innocents who lost their lives. Something as heinous as this on a day of festivity is indeed sad.
Let us put an end to this hostility and hatred which starts with questioning even an otherwise innocent motive.
wikipedia-pakistan taliban is supported by india
news in rediff.com
Wikileaks: Did India support Pakistani Taliban? Last updated on: August 31, 2011 10:20 IST
the fools of pakistan taliban are giving bad name
@Aadersh: Yes and I hope they don't blame India, not that India is anyway bothered, but i am afraid Pak shall sweep the real problem under the carpet and hat problem is rise of exclusivist brand of Islam which says a particular class of Muslims are most pure and Pious and rest other Muslims are shirk and heretics and they deserve to die.
Unless and until Pak grapples with this issue- there is absolutely no hope
Eid Mubarak to all citizens of Pakistan , may there be light and peace in your lives
Kallu Mama
@Sahira: You seem to have mis-interpretted my comments. My sincere apologies for not offering condolences in my initial comments but nevertheless they were always there in my heart for those who lost their near and dear ones on this holy day. However, your concluding remarks makes me feel more sad because you didnt speak for your goodself only but for many in Pakistan. May God/Allah bring peace and hamony in your country soon. God bless you. Regards. R S Johar New Delhi.
@Sahira
You are indirectly justifying the killings by the maniac false jihadis. Whatever Johar said carries a lot of weight.
@malik: shame on you...instigating violence on innocent people
Sad! Looks like the case of militant outfit.
RIP the dead.
@ Johar
Rather than using comments section for point scoring, why don't you offer some condolences?
Don't worry about us. We don't question our existence day in and day out. Every country faces hardship. It''s not new. It will pass.
I want to say and participate in the mourning of the hazara people today that these terrorists will be INSHAALLAH finished when Allah Almighty would want because their artificial Jihad wont be accepted against the muslims(Hazara).
@TightChuddi: "When will this madness end?"
It won't. Eid Mubarak !!!
10 more families devastated. 10 more stories of heart wrenching pain written into the history of this land. WHEN will this madness end?
Pakistan was created for well being and safety of the whole Muslim community of the un-divided India but to what consequences, when one of its community is being targeted on Eid the most holy festival of the Muslims. We are proud that our Indian Muslim brothers and sisters of all communities are fully secured and celebrating 'Eid' with gaiety, peace and harmony.
What an intolerable society have we become. Heinous act, loathsome to say the least, on a day, the significance of which is NOT limited to cast, colour, creed or one sect. All I can say is SHAMEFUL, the perpetrators of these acts have no god!
I belong to the same Hazara tribe(not to be mixed with the Hazarewals of KPK) which is the victim of this and several other blasts and target killing incidents in the recent past,targeting people from all walks of life including the common fruit-seller to sportsmen and politicians.Behind most of these tragical incidents there is only one banned rightist organization that is the Lashkar e Janghvi (LeJ) who claim responsibility of these attacks. Despite the so-called ban being imposed on these extremist outfits,they continue to target innocent people on sectarian and ethnic grounds which indeed puts a big question mark on the role of law enforcement agencies. There is three-day eid fair arranged for small children a few walks away from the target-point where hundreds of them participate and its highly likely that target may have been this eid fair.And had this plan succeeded,scores of innocent children would have fallen prey to these ruthless killers. So I ask,when is the government and the concerned authorities gonna act and provide people their due share of peace and security???
When will this madness end?
CANNOT BELIEVE THIS. On a festival day????
your story is unathentic
Not even on Eid day shall there be peace :'(
Sectarian terrorists wont even spare them on eid
What the hell...Let us b happy on EId atleast..