QUETTA: At least three people have been killed and six others wounded after unidentified gunmen opened fire on a passenger bus in Kalat district of Balochistan.
The bus, which was travelling from Karachi to Quetta, came under attack in the early hours of Wednesday.
According to initial reports, the injured were shifted to a nearby hospital, where two remain in critical condition. An emergency has been delcared at DHQ Kalat.
Shahid Rind, the spokesman for Balochistan Government, confirmed the terror incident. Proncinvial administration, security forces and rescue officials have reached the site.
Medical teams also rushed to the site and transported the injured to the district hospital.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.
Law enforcement agencies are conducting a search operation in the surrounding areas. Further updates are awaited as the situation develops.
Condemnations
President Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the attack and expressed grief over the loss of innocent lives. He extended condolences to the families of the victims and prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured.
In a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow over the loss of innocent lives in what he described as a cowardly terrorist attack by “Fitna-e-Hindustan”, a term used by the government for India-backed militants operating in Balochistan.
The prime minister offered prayers for the martyrs and wished a swift recovery for the injured. He directed authorities to provide immediate medical assistance to the wounded and vowed a strong response.
“The terrorists who targeted innocent and unarmed civilians will pay a very heavy price,” he said. “The government and security forces are fully determined to eradicate terrorism from the country.”
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the attack and described the targeting of innocent passengers as a “cowardly act.” He said such attacks are part of a wider conspiracy to destabilise the country, adding, “With the nation’s support, we will foil the plots of these Indian-sponsored terrorists.”
Balochistan Chief Minister condemned the attack. In a post on X, “The attack on the passenger coach in Kalat is a cowardly and despicable act of terrorism. The loss of precious lives is an irreparable tragedy. The terrorist organisations of Fitna-Al-Hindustan have previously carried out attacks based on identity, but now they are indiscriminately targeting civilians, which clearly shows that this war is against every ordinary Pakistani, and we will defeat it at all costs!.”
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah called the attack “barbaric,” stressing that such elements must be eliminated to ensure peace and progress.
PPP Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman said targeting innocent and defenceless civilians was a “heinous act”.
The incident follows the abduction and killing of at least nine passengers by unidentified armed men last week, as they traveled on two Punjab-bound coaches through the Sur-Dakai area, located on the border of Balochistan’s Zhob and Loralai districts.
According to the government, the group Fitna-al-Hindustan was behind coordinated attacks at three locations: Kakat, Mastung, and Sur-Dakai.
The banned Balochistan Liberation Front later claimed responsibility for the killings. A spokesperson for the group stated they executed the nine victims after blocking the highway between Musakhail-Makhtar and Khajuri.
