Attacks continue: Poll violence leaves two dead, 12 injured

Four schools designated as polling stations blown up in Balochistan.

QUETTA/ PESHAWAR:

Two people were killed and 12 others were injured in attacks targeting ANP, PPP and PML-N in Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Karachi.

A Balochistan Constabulary operative was killed while six others sustained injuries when the election rally of PML-N candidate Akber Askani came under attack in the Mand area of Kech district in Balochistan.

An official of the Balochistan Levies, Nasir Ali, told The Express Tribune that the PML-N candidate of PB-50, Akber Askani, was on his way to campaign for elections when unidentified armed men opened indiscriminate fire on his cavalcade.

The banned organisation Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) claimed responsibility for the attack.

In a second incident, a PPP candidate’s office was burnt down in Manjipur, Balochistan. He was contesting a seat in the provincial legislature in PB-27. No casualties have been reported.

In a third election related attack, the meeting area of an Awami National Party leader, Haider Ali, was partially damaged when unidentified militants lobbed a hand grenade inside the building located in Katlang, Mardan district. None were killed or injured.

An official of the Katlang police said that around 12:30am, an explosion was heard at the ANP leader’s meeting place, while a car and motorbike parked inside were damaged as a result.

In a fourth attack, an internally displaced South Waziristan tribesman was killed and six others were injured when a bomb planted at the office of NA-41’s (South Waziristan) candidate exploded. The office was located in Mirali Tehsil of North Waziristan Agency.

An official of the political administration in Mirali said that around 3:00pm a huge explosion occurred in Mirali Bazaar after which security forces rushed to the site.

In another attack against the ANP, the party’s election office was partially destroyed when explosives planted by unknown militants went off in the Bhalola area of Charsadda district.

Gohar Khan, an official of Khan Mahi said that unidentified militants had planted a remote-controlled bomb at the election office of ANP leader Asfandyar Wali Khan, which exploded and destroyed the front of the office that is situated in Bhalola Bazaar. No human loss was reported.

In a sixth incident, a bomb planted at the main gate of an Awami National Party election office in Yar Hussain village of Swabi went off, partially destroying the structure in separate incidents in Swabi. No one was reported injured or killed

Balochistan schools attacked

A primary school was blown up in Ghot Raisani area of Dhadar, Balochistan. Levies sources said that unknown persons planted explosive material at the primary school designated as a polling station.  Meanwhile, two other schools designated as polling stations were blown up in Jaffarabad district. A third school was blown up in the Chah Sar area of Turbat.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 10^th, 2013.