Authorities in Pakistan said Wednesday that at least 30 people are dead and dozens more injured in two bomb blasts targeting election campaign offices in southwestern Baluchistan province.
The deadly bombings in Pishin and Qilla Saifullah districts have fueled security concerns ahead of Thursday’s national elections in the country of about 241 million people.
“It is important to emphasize that the scheduled elections will proceed as planned,” said Jan Achakzai, the provincial government spokesperson. He added that “terrorists” would not be allowed to undermine the “crucial democratic process."
A regional affiliate of Islamic State, known as Islamic State-Khorasan or IS-K, claimed the Pishin bombing but no group took credit for the second blast. The violence came a week after a bomb explosion hit an election rally in another Baluchistan district and killed five people. IS-K claimed responsibility for that attack.
Pakistan's caretaker prime minister, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, condemned Wednesday's bombings and reaffirmed his government's commitment to ensuring peaceful elections in the country, according to a statement released by his office in Islamabad.
The South Asian nation has deployed tens of thousands of police and paramilitary forces at polling stations nationwide to ensure the safety of voters during the elections for the national and four provincial assemblies.
A spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on Tuesday deplored all acts of violence against political parties and candidates in Pakistan.
“In the lead-up to the vote, there have been no less than 24 reported instances in which armed groups have staged attacks against members of political parties,” said Elisabeth Throssell.
