ISLAMABAD/QUETTA: At Least 5 people were injured when a suicide bomber reportedly targeted the convoy of Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Sirajul Haq on Friday. The incident took place on Quetta road near Zhob, Balochistan. WeNews Correspondent Ghalib Nihad said that the local police officials have confirmed the incident. The social media account of Jamaat-i-Islami also confirmed the incident and termed it a “suicide blast”.
امیر جماعت اسلامی سراج الحق کے قافلے پر ژوب بلوچستان میں خود کش حملہ، حملہ آور مارا گیا۔
الحمدللہ سراج الحق محفوظ ہیں۔ جلسہ عام سے خطاب کے لیے ژوب میں موجود تھے— Jamaat e Islami Pakistan (@JIPOfficial) May 19, 2023
Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) said that a “suicide attack” had targeted JI emir Sirajul Haq’s convoy in Balochistan’s Zhob, local media reported.
In a tweet, JI said that Sirajul Haq was safe and that the attacker had been killed. The party said that JI emir was present in the area to address a public gathering.
جب امیر جماعت اسلامی سراج الحق کے قافلے پر خودکش حملہ کیا گیا
سراج الحق قافلے کی صورت میں ژوب میں جلسہ عام سے خطاب کے لیے جا رہے تھے
خودکش حملہ آور نے اس دوران سراج الحق کی گاری کے قریب خود کو دھماکہ سے اڑایا
سراج الحق اس حملے میں محفوظ رہے
جماعت اسلامی کے 7 کارکنان زخمی ہیں، 4… pic.twitter.com/6yMu3XxURw— Jamaat e Islami Pakistan (@JIPOfficial) May 19, 2023
Suicide Bomber Killed as JI Chief Sirajul Haq Remains Safe
The tweet further stated that the incident occurred when the convoy of Siraj-ul-Haq was heading towards Zhob, adding that 7 people were injured, among which four were in critical condition. It further said that Sirajul Haq remained safe during the attack. It maintained that the attacker had been killed.
However, initial reports suggest that 5 people were injured in the blast. Rescue teams rushed to the site after the blast. Security officials have also started the probe to ascertain the nature of the blast. Till the filing of the report, no one took responsibility for the attack.
Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Qudoos Bizanjo condemned the attack and expressed good wishes for the JI leader.
ژوب میں امیر جماعت اسلامی سراج الحق کے قافلے پر خودکش حملے کی شدید مذمت کرتا ہوں۔ قیمتی جانوں کے ضیاع پردل رنجیدہ ہے۔ میں نے بلوچستان حکومت کو ہدایت کی ہے کہ وہ حملے کی تمام زاویوں سے تحقیقات کرے اور اس خوفناک حملے میں ملوث کرداروں کو انصاف کے کٹہرے میں لایا جائے۔ اللّہ پاک…
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) May 19, 2023
Attacks on Political Leadership in Pakistan
Pakistan witnessed a number of Suicide attacks against political leadership started in early 2000s till the proceeding decade, including the tragic incident of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in December 2007, former President General Pervez Musharraf, former Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpa, Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Asfandyar Wali Khan etc. However, the religious party Jumati Islami was targeted in such attacks for the second time as its ex-emir and one of its most vibrant leader Qazi Hussian Ahmad also escaped a suicide attack near Shabqadar, Mohmand District Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in November 2012.
