Pakistan: 52 killed, over 130 injured in ‘suicide blast’ in Mastung in Balochistan

Islamabad: At least 52 people, including a police officer, were killed and over 50 people sustained injuries in what officials believe was a suicide blast near a mosque in Balochistan’s Mastung district on Friday, Dawn reported. This is the second major blast in the district in September. An official said that the explosion took place near the Madina Mosque where people had gathered to mark Eid Miladun Nabi. Station House Officer (SHO) Javed Lehri said that the injured are being shifted to a medical facility while an emergency has been imposed in the hospitals. Mastung Assistant Commissioner Atta Ul Munim said that the explosion, which seems to be of a "massive" nature, took place near Madina Mosque. He said that the people had to participate in a procession later, as per Geo News. The district administration said that Mastung's Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Nawaz Gashkori is among the deceased. Those critically injured in the blast are being shifted to Quetta with emergency enforced across the city’s hospitals, according to Provincial Caretaker Information Minister Jan Achakzai. Sindh Interim Chief Minister Maqbool Baqar has condemned the blast, according to a statement from his spokesperson. The chief minister, according to the statement said that those involved in taking the lives of innocent people are the "enemies of humanity". Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (JUP) leader Maulana Owais Noorani said in a post on X — formerly known as Twitter — that he was deeply saddened to hear about the deaths and injuries. (with ANI inputs)