Journalist targeted in Khuzdar IED attack

Two passers-by also killed in explosion

QUETTA:

An explosion in Balochistan’s Khuzdar district on Friday claimed the lives of at least three individuals, including Muhammad Siddique Mengal, the president of the Khuzdar Press Club, officials confirmed.

The tragic incident unfolded on Sultan Ibrahim Khan Road in the Chamrok area of the city, coinciding with World Press Freedom Day. Mengal's vehicle was targeted while he was en route from his residence to the university.

In widely circulated video footage of the incident on social media, one could see Mengal’s white car exploding moments after a motorcyclist threw something inside it from the driver’s window.

Mengal, who was also a provincial officer-bearer of the JUI-F, died on the spot, while approximately ten others sustained injuries, according to police officials.

First responders swiftly transported the injured to Khuzdar District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) for treatment. Upon receiving reports of the explosion, police rushed to the scene, cordoning off the area and initiating investigations.

Police later launched a door-to-door search operation and arrested several suspects who were shifted to a local police station for interrogation.

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The body of the slain journalist was also shifted to the DHQ, where a large number of people gathered after the incident. Later, two other injured individuals also succumbed to their wounds.

Sources indicate that Mengal had received a death threat in the form of a letter last month, raising concerns about his safety. Additionally, a few months prior, he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in a shooting incident.

Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti denounced the attack and instructed the Inspector General of Police to expedite efforts to apprehend those responsible.

Expressing his condolences, Bugti described the loss of a journalist on World Press Freedom Day in Balochistan as a tragic development. Maulana Abdul Wasey, amir of the JUI-F Balochistan, joined in condemning the killing, urging the government to take decisive action against the perpetrators.

The Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ) also organized a protest demonstration, calling for the immediate arrest of the journalist's assailants. Khalil Ahmed, president of the BUJ, demanded justice as journalists brandished placards and banners bearing condemnations of the killing and passionately voiced their dissent against such acts of violence.