Quetta (Staff Report): Caretaker Prime Minister Nasir-ul-Mulk visited Quetta on Sunday as the nation observes national day of mourning to pay tribute to the victims of Mastung and KP terrorist incidents.
After his arrival the caretaker prime minister visited CMH, to inquire after the health condition of those injured in Mastung tragic incident.
He met the injured individually and prayed for their early recovery.
Chairman Senate Mir Sadiq Sanjarani, Caretaker Chief Minister Balochistan Allauddin Marri and Caretaker Minister for SAFRON and Railways Roshan Khursheed Barocha accompanied the Prime Minister during his visit to the hospital.
Nasir-ul-Mulk also visited the of house of former Chief Minister Balochistan Nawab Aslam Raisani to condole martyrdom of his younger brother Nawabzada Mir Siraj Raisani in a suicide bomb attack in Mastung.
According to sources, the PM will also preside over a high level meeting at Governor House in Quetta to review law and order and political situation in Balochistan.
On Saturday, The caretaker federal government declared Sunday as a day of national mourning over recent terrorist attacks in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
"In view of tragic incidents of terrorist attacks at Peshawar on July 10 and in Mastung and Bannu on July 13, 2018, the federal government has announced to observe one day official mourning throughout the country" on Sunday, said an official announcement from the Prime Minister's Office.
It said that the national flag will fly at half mast on Sunday to mourn the deaths of nearly 150 people in the recent terrorist attacks ahead of the general elections.
The PM Office also directed the Ministry of Interior to formally issue a notification for declaration of Sunday as the day of mourning.
On Friday, the Mastung attack was the deadliest terror attack in the country which claimed at least 128 lives including Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) candidate from PB-35 constituency, Nawabzada Siraj Raisani.
The convoy of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) candidate from NA-35 Bannu came under attack. While former chief minister Akram Khan Durrani, who had also been named in Nacta list, remained safe in the attack, four of his supporters lost their lives.
Last week, at least 20 people including Awami National Party (ANP) leader Barrister Haroon Bilour lost their lives and more than 6o people were injured in an explosion which occurred late Tuesday night in the Yakatoot neighbourhood moments after Bilour arrived at the site of a corner meeting. He suffered serious injuries and was shifted to Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) where he succumbed to his wounds.
He was contesting the election from the PK-78 constituency.
The banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the suicide blast .
Bilour, whose father Bashir Bilour was also killed in a TTP-claimed suicide attack in 2012.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) spokesperson announced that the election for PK-78 has been postponed due to the tragedy.
The death toll was initially reported to be 13, but it rose to 20 overnight.
The National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) on Monday had revealed the names of six personalities, including Imran Khan and Hafiz Saeed’s son, who could be targeted by terrorists during the ongoing election campaign.
“Six people include Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan, Awami National Party leaders Asfandyar Wali and Ameer Haider Hoti, Qaumi Watan Party head Aftab Sherpao, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl leader Akram Khan Durrani and Hafiz Saeed’s son Talha Saeed. Moreover, there are threats to senior leadership of the Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz,” NACTA director Obaid Farooq said while briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Interior.
He said NACTA had forwarded 12 threat alerts to the federal interior and provincial home ministries as well as law enforcement agencies.
