Quetta (6 AM Report) — Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Balochistan, Hamza Shafqat, has said that the Saryab blast was beyond the control of security agencies and could not have been prevented. Addressing a joint press conference with senior police officials in Quetta, he stated that the Balochistan National Party’s (BNP) rally had been repeatedly cautioned about security threats, but the warnings were not taken seriously.
He clarified that the rally was scheduled for 3 p.m., while the suicide blast occurred around 9 p.m., nearly 500 kilometers away from the rally venue. “The incident took place 45 minutes after the rally ended. The organizers were told three times to conclude the event early, but they ignored the advice. Had the explosion occurred inside the rally venue, the loss would have been far greater,” Shafqat said.
According to him, the suicide bomber, under the age of 30, used around 8 kilograms of explosives. The attacker’s remains have been recovered. He confirmed that 120 police personnel had been deployed for the BNP rally.
Shafqat further said that the provincial government had already shared threat alerts with the concerned political party. He stressed that political organizers must take such security advisories seriously in the future. “The responsibility of identifying those behind the attack lies with us, but organizers also need to cooperate. We have repeatedly appealed to the public to control their movements, especially on September 6, given the heightened security threats,” he added.
The Additional Chief Secretary also noted that terror groups were attempting to destabilize Pakistan, particularly ahead of the 12th Rabi-ul-Awal. He said that henceforth, no political rallies or gatherings would be allowed after Maghrib prayers to minimize risks.
Meanwhile, Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti has announced financial assistance of Rs1.5 million each for the families of martyrs and Rs500,000 for the injured.
