One Presumed Dead As JI Chief Escapes Zhob 'Suicide Attack'

One Presumed Dead As JI Chief Escapes Zhob 'Suicide Attack'
Jamaat-e-Islami chief Siraj-ul-Haq narrowly escaped a suicide bombing in Balochistan's Zhob as he led a rally in the city, on Friday.

The footage of the incident shows the explosive going off in the convoy as vehicles and bikes proceed to the point of convergence where Haq was scheduled to address the workers.

The bombing spread panic at the scene, with at least one of the party activists falling to the ground and being unresponsive. The reports in the media suggest that he succumbed to his injuries soon after.

In a Twitter post, the party said that Haq was safe and that the bomber had been killed.

Moreover, Dawn quoted JI spokesperson Qaisar Sharif as saying that Haq "reached Quetta today and had to go further to Zhob where he has a political gathering today. When he was entering Zhob and people were welcoming him, a person came and blew himself up."

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According to the publication, Sharif also said, "Everybody was safe in the suicide attack and there was no loss of lives. According to initial information, only some cars have been damaged and a few people have sustained injuries."

Condemnations

Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo expressed grief at the suicide bombing. "We are grateful to Allah who protected the emir of JI and his colleagues," he said.

CM Bizenjo added, "It is deeply regretted that five people were injured in the incident."

He went on to add that terrorists want to achieve their nefarious goals by spreading panic and insecurity in the province, but vowed that they and their patrons won't succeed.

Caretaker Punjab CM Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the attack, and expressed relief that the JI chief remained safe in the explosion.

He prayed for a prompt recovery of the those injured in the blast. Naqvi further said that anti-Pakistan elements want to push Pakistan into instability, and urged for national unity and consensus.