[kellyhound]

Pakistan, Quetta: The interim government has announced one-day mourning nationwide on Sunday after a suicide blast at a political rally in Mastung martyred 128 133 135 people and injured more than 150 200, in one of the deadliest attacks in the country's history.

Caretaker Prime Minister Justice (retd) Nasirul Mulk directed the Ministry of Interior to issue a notification declaring Sunday a day of mourning to pay respect to lives lost in the recent spate of terror attacks in the country.

The Balochistan government earlier today announced two-day mourning in the province following the deadly attack, in which Nawabzada Siraj Raisani, who was running for a provincial seat with the newly-formed local Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), was also martyred.

Authorities said the suicide bomber detonated in the middle of a compound where the political meeting was taking place, in Mastung's Darengarh area.

The blast was the latest in a string of attacks that have spurred fears of violence ahead of the general election on July 25, and came hours after four people were killed and 39 injured in a bomb blast targetting a JUI-F convoy in Bannu on Friday.

The national flag is at half-mast at all public buildings in the province. The BAP has also cancelled its election rally in Quetta today in memory of the deceased.

The Pakistan Bar Council has announced two-day mourning and is boycotting all court proceedings today in condemnation of the tragedy.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has cancelled its rally scheduled for July 17 in Quetta, while the Pakistan Peoples Party has called off its rally in Batkhela today.

Levies personnel said on Saturday that evidence is being collected from the site of the attack, which has been secured by the forensics team. A case would be registered against the attack once all necessary proceedings have been conducted.

The authorities will take assistance from the Punjab Forensics Laboratory to probe the attack, the levies officials added.

BAP candidate Siraj Raisani, who was martyred as the suicide blast ripped through the election rally when he took the stage, will be laid to rest in Kanak, Mastung.

His funeral prayers will be offered in Quetta at later today.

Raisani was recently elected as the chairperson of Balochistan Muttahida Mahaz and merged his party with the Balochistan Awami Party on June 3. He was scheduled to contest for PP-35 (Mastung).

The deceased had lost his son Akmal Raisani in a bomb blast at Mastung in July 2011.

The Mastung attack was the most lethal since Taliban militants assaulted Peshawar’s Army Public School in 2014, killing over 150 people, mostly children, and one of the deadliest in the country´s long struggle with terrorism.

On Tuesday, a bomb targeted a rally by the Awami National Party (ANP) in Peshawar, martyring local ANP leader Haroon Bilour along with 21 others. Thousands flocked to his funeral the next day.

The military has warned of security threats in the run-up to the election on July 25, and said it will deploy more than 370,000 soldiers on polling day.

[koipin]

That is one fucker of a bomb.

[Susan]

why are the mourning if they're martyred?

[Riddla]

Anubis will be working overtime

[Stevieaitch]

Double sucks because even if you have survived the blast and are awake you know you are probably going to die from infection anyway its such a backward shithole with pretty much zero medical help.

[soyadude]

Wonder what Gandhi thinks about Pakistan if he was still alive today.

[gimlet]

Originally Posted by koipin ↗

That is one fucker of a bomb.

Just wait for the iPhone videos after a 350 kiloton or a few stray megaton bombs start going off in that corner of the world..

[gimlet]

At least the water coolers survived, praise Allah!

[eyeful_hound]

Originally Posted by soyadude ↗

Wonder what Gandhi thinks about Pakistan if he was still alive today.

"It's awesome! Exactly what I prophetically dreamed! Well done children."
~ oh wait, that was Muhammad

[booboo2718]

All those magic carpets and no place to go.