A bomb blast took place in a railway station in Quetta, the capital of southwestern Pakistan’s Baluchistan province; at least 24 people were killed and over 40 injured, police and local authorities reported. Inspector General of Police for Balochistan, Mouzzam Jah Ansari, said that the attack aimed military contingents from the Infantry School and the majority of victims remained in severe condition. Dr. Wasim Baig from the local civil hospital reported 44 injuries.
Muhammad Baloch, the Senior Superintendent of Police Operations, said that it could be a suicide bombing and happened when a train bound for Peshawar was about to leave. As yet no organization has come forward to own up for the bombing which took place at Quetta’s main railway station where observational traffic is generally seen in the morning hours.
That only adds to the ever mounting violence in Pakistan, with ethnic separatists in the south or Islamists in the northwest. The attack occurs after a violent August in Balochistan; it was a month where militants bombed police stations, railways and highways leading to the death of 73 people. These act were some of the worst acts of violence in years from separatists for the independence of Balochistan. The province is resource abound which has attracted the key projects by China including a big sea port and a gold and copper mining yet another aspect of geostrategic significance of the region is propped up.
This is the case of the recent Quetta blast , The Quetta blast brings out the fact that Pakistan has to deal with regional and militant conflict to address issues of insecurity and instability. Paradoxically, control remains an issue for the government and security forces which are preventing separatist and militant threats in the region. The consequence of such attacks affects civil and public life as well as major infrastructure, it also raises question about future stability given the secretive ventures within the province.
