QUETTA, Pakistan: A suicide bombing ripped through a political rally in Pakistan’s restive southwestern province of Balochistan on Tuesday night, killing at least 15 people and injuring 32, a senior administration official said on Wednesday, in one of the deadliest attacks in recent months.

The Daesh group said in a statement it had carried out the attack as supporters and senior leaders of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) left a stadium after a rally to mark the fourth death anniversary of party founder Attaullah Mengal.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest yet most impoverished province, has been grappling for decades with a separatist insurgency that has escalated in recent years. Militants frequently target security forces, officials and non-local residents they accuse of exploiting the province’s resources. The province is also of strategic importance for Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, with China investing heavily in ports, roads and energy projects.

Daesh has maintained a presence in Balochistan for nearly a decade, carrying out repeated bombings against political gatherings, minority communities and security convoys. The group first announced an affiliate in Pakistan in 2015.

Police said the latest blast was caused by a suicide bomber who detonated about 10 kilograms of explosives.

“The suicide attack occurred at 9:40 p.m. outside the Shahwani Stadium when people were coming out,” Hamza Shafqaat, Additional Chief Secretary Home, said during a news conference, confirming a death toll of 15. 

“A total of 112 policemen were deployed to protect the venue of Balochistan National Party Mengal’s rally,” he continued. “The body of the suicide bomber was recovered from the crime scene. His age was less than 30, but his ethnicity is yet to be confirmed as investigations continue.”

Shafqaat added that the provincial government had already imposed Section 144 in the province following the high-level threat alert until September 15. Section 144 is a legal provision in Pakistan’s Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) that gives the government and local administration emergency powers to maintain public order and safety.

“Despite the threat alert, the government allowed BNP-Mengal to hold a public rally and issued a no-objection certificate with 17 to 18 clauses, including maintaining time restrictions,” the official said. 

Shafqaat added that law enforcement agencies had shared 22 threat alerts with the Balochistan administration related to processions marking the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), which will be observed on Saturday.

“We are on high alert,” he added.

CHAOS

BNP-M, an ethnic Baloch nationalist party that campaigns for greater provincial autonomy and control over natural resources, is headed by former parliamentarian Sardar Akhtar Mengal and remains a key political force in Balochistan’s majority-Baloch districts.

Mengal said the explosion struck shortly after he escorted political allies out of the rally.

“After the rally, I was escorting our guests, including the opposition leader, Mehmood Khan Achakzai. As we left and moved a little ahead, the blast occurred,” Mengal told Arab News.

Mengal declared a three-day mourning period and a “black day” across Balochistan.

“The government didn’t inform us of any threat alert before the rally,” he said. “Further actions will be announced after discussions with our aligned political parties.”

Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos.

“We looked back and saw flames rising up … several people were injured and some had already been martyred. We immediately picked up people and left for Civil Hospital,” Bilal Ahmed told reporters. 

Party member Agha Hassan Baloch said he and other leaders were just steps away when the bomber struck.

“We were approximately 15 to 20 feet away from the site of the explosion … it happened next to our party’s central leader Nawab Niyaz Zehri’s car, which was a suicide blast,” he said.

Provincial health officials said eight of the injured were in critical condition and had been shifted to the Combined Military Hospital.

“Teams are working around the clock to treat the wounded,” Dr. Waseem Baig, spokesperson for the provincial health department, said.