Pak: BNP-M rally faces suicide blast – The Tribune

Mastung [Pakistan], March 29 (ANI): A suicide blast was reported near the BNP-M rally at Luk Pass, Balochistan, as per ARY News on Saturday.

The attacker attempted to enter the sit-in but was stopped by security personnel and party workers, leading to the explosion, ARY News reported.

The attacker arrived on a motorcycle with an accomplice, who fled the scene after the blast. No casualties were reported in the Mastung suicide blast in the BNP-M rally, and party leader Sardar Akhtar Mengal, along with other participants, remained unharmed.

The rally was part of a long march from Wadh to Quetta, protesting the arrests of Baloch Yakjehti Committee leaders and police crackdowns on sit-ins. The provincial government has been in contact with BNP-M leadership since Friday night, ensuring the safety of the rally’s participants.

Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind confirmed that the provincial administration is investigating the Mastung suicide blast incident and reiterated its commitment to protecting the public and political leaders. A meeting between government officials and Sardar Akhtar Mengal is scheduled to address the situation further.

The Mastung suicide blast near BNP-M rally highlights ongoing tensions in Balochistan, where political protests and security challenges continue to shape the region’s dynamics, ARY News reported.

Earlier in the day, the long march, launched by the Balochistan National Party (BNP-Mengal) to protest the arrest of Baloch activist Mahrang Baloch, other leaders and workers as well as police crackdowns on a sit-in, did not reach Quetta till late Friday night, Dawn reported.

Led by BNP President Sardar Akhtar Mengal, the marchers and motorists from different political parties had started their journey from Wadh, the native town of Sardar Mengal, for Quetta at around 9am, as per Dawn.

Hundreds of vehicles, including small trucks, pickup, cars and other vehicles are part of the long march, displaying banners inscribed with anti-government slogans. People in Khuzdar, Surab, Kalat, Mangochar and Mastung welcomed the long march in their respective areas and started joining them. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)