A bomb blast near a vehicle carrying a local leader of an Islamist political party in Pakistan killed six people and left several others wounded on Friday. The attack took place in the town Chaman of the Baluchistan province.
According to the news that has emerged, the attack took place when a local leader of a faction of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party, Abdul Qadir, was on his way to attend a rally in support of the Palestinians.
So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack and it remains unclear who was behind this attack. The police has said that they are investigating into it.
Liaquat Shahwani, a spokesman for the provincial government in Baluchistan tweeted a condemnation of the blast. “A bomb blast at a Palestinian Solidarity Day rally in the chicken market of Chamas has unfortunately killed six people and injured 14 others. 10 injured have been moved to DHQA Hospital Chaman, Quetta. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam leader Abdul Qadir Loni and Qari Mehrullah are safe. The area has been sealed,” he wrote on Twitter.
Pakistanis have been gathering in huge numbers for the anti-Israel rallies, in solidarity with the Palestinian people. Pakistan also happens to be among a few countries that do not have diplomatic ties with Israel.
The news comes hours after Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi welcomed a ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas.