QUETTA: One man was killed and 10 others were injured in a grenade attack at the Quetta Railway Station on Wednesday, a senior police official confirmed.
While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far, such incidents are not uncommon in southwestern Balochistan province, a region bordering Iran and Afghanistan that has witnessed a decades-long low-level insurgency by separatist groups.
Earlier this week, suspected militants hurled hand grenades at a house and a store selling Pakistan’s national flags after the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) issued a warning to avoid such trade ahead of the country’s Independence Day on August 14. The attack killed three and injured six others.
Senior Superintendent of Police Muhammad Baloch told Arab News that unidentified individuals targeted people gathered at the Quetta Railway Station in the latest attack to view Independence Day decorations.
“According to initial reports, the attack was believed to have been carried out with a hand grenade, but it now appears to have been a UBGL [Under Barrel Grenade Launcher] attack, which has killed one man and injured 10 others, including three minor children,” he said, referring to the possible use of a grenade launcher mounted underneath the barrel of a rifle or similar firearm.
Waseem Baig, spokesman for the Civil Hospital Quetta, as confirmed that 10 people were treated for injuries at the medical facility.
People in Balochistan and other parts of Pakistan rely heavily on railway travel to visit relatives and friends in other cities during public holidays like August 14, leading to a surge in passenger numbers and unusually crowded stations.
Baloch separatist factions say they are fighting against what they see as unfair exploitation of the province’s wealth by the federation, though the Pakistani authorities deny the allegation and say they have launched several development projects for the well-being of the people.
One killed, 10 injured in grenade attack in Pakistan’s southwest on Independence Day
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One killed, 10 injured in grenade attack in Pakistan’s southwest on Independence Day
- Police say attack took place at Quetta Railway Station where people had gathered to see Aug. 14 decorations
- Such attacks are not uncommon in Balochistan province that has witnessed separatist violence for decades
Pakistan terms climate change, demographic pressures as ‘pressing existential risks’
- Pakistan has suffered frequent climate change-induced disasters, including floods this year that killed over 1,000
- Pakistan finmin highlights stabilization measures at Doha Forum, discusses economic cooperation with Qatar
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Saturday described climate change and demographic pressures as “pressing existential risks” facing the country, calling for urgent climate financing.
The finance minister was speaking as a member of a high-level panel at the 23rd edition of the Doha Forum, which is being held from Dec. 6–7 in the Qatari capital. Aurangzeb was invited as a speaker on the discussion titled: ‘Global Trade Tensions: Economic Impact and Policy Responses in MENA.’
“He reaffirmed that while Pakistan remained vigilant in the face of geopolitical uncertainty, the more pressing existential risks were climate change and demographic pressures,” the Finance Division said.
Pakistan has suffered repeated climate disasters in recent years, most notably the 2022 super-floods that submerged one-third of the country, displaced millions and caused an estimated $30 billion in losses.
This year’s floods killed over 1,000 people and caused at least $2.9 billion in damages to agriculture and infrastructure. Scientists say Pakistan remains among the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations despite contributing less than 1 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions.
Aurangzeb has previously said climate change and Pakistan’s fast-rising population are the only two factors that can hinder the South Asian country’s efforts to become a $3 trillion economy in the future.
The finance minister noted that this year’s floods in Pakistan had shaved at least 0.5 percent off GDP growth, calling for urgent climate financing and investment in resilient infrastructure.
When asked about Pakistan’s fiscal resilience and capability to absorb external shocks, Aurangzeb said Islamabad had rebuilt fiscal buffers. He pointed out that both the primary fiscal balance and current account had returned to surplus, supported significantly by strong remittance inflows of $18–20 billion annually from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) regions.
Separately, Aurangzeb met his Qatari counterpart Ali Bin Ahmed Al Kuwari to discuss bilateral cooperation.
“Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening economic ties, particularly by maximizing opportunities created through the newly concluded GCC–Pakistan Free Trade Agreement, expanding trade flows, and deepening energy cooperation, including long-term LNG collaboration,” the finance ministry said.
The two also discussed collaboration on digital infrastructure, skills development and regulatory reform. They agreed to establish structured mechanisms to continue joint work in trade diversification, technology, climate resilience, and investment facilitation, the finance ministry said.
