Seven people, including five schoolchildren, a police officer and a passerby, were killed in a blast on Friday morning near Civil Hospital Chowk in Mastung, Balochistan.
“So far, seven individuals have been martyred, including five school students, and 17 others have sustained injuries,” Kalat Division Commissioner Naeem Bazai confirmed to the press.
According to the commissioner, the blast occurred at around 8:35 am near a high school for girls at Mastung Civil Hospital Chowk.
“It appears that an IED [improvised explosive device] attached to a motorcycle was detonated near a police mobile,” he said.
Mastung District Police Officer (DPO) Miandad Umrani said the explosion damaged a police van and multiple auto-rickshaws present near the site of the attack.
District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) Medical Superintendent Nisar Ahmad Baloch told a private media outlet that 30 injured, mostly schoolchildren, were currently being treated at the DHQ as well as Nawab Hospital in Mastung.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and Balochistan Chief Minister (CM) Sarfraz Bugti have condemned the blast.
“We will avenge the murder of innocent children and people. The menace of terrorism can only be fought with unity,” CM Bugti wrote.
Chief Minister of Balochistan Sarfraz Bugti has allowed the national spy agency ISI to vet and screen civil screen service appointments in Balochistan in a notification dated October 1.
Geo Fact Check reported that the notification, which was shared by a Facebook user on October 7, is indeed true.
ISI has been appointed as a ‘Special Vetting Agency’ (SVA) for verifying and screening civil service appointments of officers from BPS-17 posts and above.
SVA’s approval would be required before appointing administrative secretaries, divisional commissioners, and deputy commissioners in the province as well.
It should be noted that in June 2022, then-prime minister Shehbaz Sharif also authorised the ISI to act as the Special Vetting Agency (SVA) for the verification and screening of civil officers’ appointments.
In another unfortunate incident, at least seven labourers hailing from Punjab were targeted and shot dead by militants in Balochistan’s Panjgur district on Saturday.
According to the police, the labourers were residing in a house in the Khuda-i-Abadan area of Panjgur district where the fatal attack occurred, leaving seven dead.
In a separate incident on Saturday, more than 20 labourers were abducted by armed men in the Musakhail district of Balochistan hours after seven innocent civilians were targeted in a different district.
Balochistan’s security situation has deteriorated significantly as separatist elements continue to spread violence and often target civilians from Punjab.
Last month, 23 passengers were identified and killed by the terrorist organisation Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).
President Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the incidents, saying, “Targeting innocent labourers and citizens is a very brutal and reprehensible act.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab’s Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also offered condolences to the bereaved families.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir has said that political differences should not cause hatred among people and termed relations between the army and the people the foundation for defeating any enemy.
Speaking on a Defence Day ceremony at General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, Gen Munir said, “For national unity, it is essential that political differences do not turn into hatred.”
The Army Chief highlighted the protection of minority rights to achieve national unity as per the constitution of Pakistan.
Commenting on Operation “Azm-e-Istehkam” (Resolve of Stability), he said, “Operation Azm-e-Istahkam is part of the National Action Plan. In this long war, not only the Pakistan Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies but also a large number of civilians, especially from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, have made great sacrifices.”
He added, “The malicious goals aimed at weakening national unity will not succeed.”
Chief of Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) Sardar Akhtar Mengal has announced that he is resigning from the National Assembly (NA).
Talking to media outside parliament alongside Chairman Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Mengal said, “I am announcing my resignation in this press conference, and I haven’t told anyone yet.”
The head of BNP-M remarked that he will return to his constituency and tell the Baloch people, “If I was unable to do anything for your people, I didn’t sit along with those who were doing nothing for Balochistan.”
“I’m disappointed by the system. The state is not ready to listen to Balochistan’s grievances, and I have lost confidence in the state, the President, and the Prime Minister.”
“Even if you want to encounter or kill me outside Parliament, go ahead, but at least listen. We have no one, and no one listens to us,” he concluded.
Aun Ali Khosa, a digital content creator and singer, was abducted by unknown persons on August 14. Five days later, Khosa returned home. His song Bil Bill Pakistan criticized the government for massive increase in electricity bills.
A Twitter thread posted by Marwah Khan highlighted the troubling incident but in reference to Pakistani music. She tweeted, “A guy singing mere “Bill Bill Pakistan” was abducted in 2024.
Here is a thread of Shehzad Roy taking advantage of post Musharraf democratisation with unhinged bangers and timeless tracks.”
In a country where music often turns to be the voice of resistance, one name has stood out loud and clear, all these years- Shehzad Roy, a man who chose his art to revolt against the status quo, to raise his voice for the need to bring reforms in some of the most crucial areas of Pakistani society.
Singer and activist, Shehzad Roy is a man who used his art to rebel against the status quo and raise awareness of the need for reforms in some of the most significant areas of Pakistani society. In a nation where music frequently becomes the voice of opposition, Roy’s name has stood out loud and clear over the years.
In an exclusive conversation with The Current, Roy reflected on his music’s evolution, starting with his album ‘Laga Reh’ and songs like ‘Apay Ullu’ and ‘Qismat Apne Haath Mein.’
Talking about Laga Reh, Roy said, “The political music that I converted was when I started to end the occupation of government schools. It all started in 2006-07 when we were fixing Fatima Jinnah Government School in Karachi, Garden West, which is an institution today because of which so many policies have changed. I kept going there and started writing all this. Because a school is just like mini Pakistan, a government school, where you have the occupation mafia, drug mafia, exploiting religion, exploiting culture, a whole teacher mafia, so all kinds of mafia you have there, that’s Mini Pakistan. When you turn around a government school properly, it’s like turning around Mini Pakistan. So from there I started writing songs. So when Laga Reh Hai album came out, especially Laga Reh, before that, I started writing songs.”
Roy’s political music portfolio started growing during this time of activism in education and identified with the struggle and hopes of Pakistanis.
“So before Laga Reh, Wasu and I had our song Apnay Ullu, which reflects Pakistan’s history. Then we have Qismat Apne Haath Mein which was obviously a bullshit song,” Roy added.
Shehzad talked about how his political songs and school reform efforts have led to major changes.
“Whatever political songs I have sung, because of the songs or when I was reforming the government schools, removing the qabza. And now the qabza have ended in Karachi schools. Generally it is contagious and it has an impact on the whole of Sindh and the whole country. When we were trying to implement the curriculum of sexual abuse, which is not taught in the best private schools, there many articles were published against me. Some people said that this is against our religion, although how to save children from sexual abuse is instructed by our religion. So that curriculum was implemented. Scholars approved that saving children from sexual abuse is in accordance with the Quran and Sunnah.”
The Laga Reh singer also discussed the threats he faced due to his activism and music.
“So, there were multiple types of threats. I have never focused on anyone when I write my songs. I have never written against a person, a political party or an institution. I have always kept a philosophical argument. And they say that 50 percent of knowledge is in asking the right question. So I have tried to raise that question, which we can all answer in our own way. I have never given a sweeping statement that so-and-so is bad and this is good.”
Shehzad Roy also discussed the controversy that surrounded his song ‘Waja,’ which was shot in Balochistan.
“The song Waja, which we shot in Balochistan, we told a lot of positive things in it, but in it, the guy who sings in Baloch language, is saying that the state should never make its people cry. It should not fight its people. There was controversy over that as well. I don’t know why I said that Balochistan is developing. Although I gave both points of view. But because he was speaking in Baloch language, people may have not understood what was said,” Shehzad Roy added.
At least 23 people, mainly from Punjab, were killed in the Musakhel district of Balochistan early on Monday morning after armed men checked the identities of victims on buses and trucks, shooting them to death.
Musakhail Assistant Commissioner Najeeb Kakar told Dawn News that the militants blocked the inter-provincial highway in the Rarasham area of the district and discharged passengers from buses.
Furthermore, the armed men set fire to 10 vehicles in the attack.
“Vehicles travelling to and from Punjab were inspected, and individuals from Punjab were identified and shot,” said AC Kakar.
Three of the victims were from Balochistan, while the rest of them belonged to the Punjab province.
In recent years, the security situation in Balochistan has been going downhill as terrorist organisations target civilians, especially from Punjab.
A similar incident took place in Noshki almost four months ago when nine passengers from Punjab were identified, taken away and later killed by the militant Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the terrorist attack.
“The terrorists responsible for this incident will be severely punished,” the PM vowed.
Kalat Attack
At least ten people, including police and levies personnel, were killed in Balochistan’s Kalat city in a lethal attack by armed militants last night.
According to SSP Kalat Dostain Dashti, the victims include a police sub-inspector, four levies officials and five civilians.
Five Levies personnel, including the Kalat Assistant Commissioner Aftab Lasi, were among the injured.
The militants managed to escape after the brutal attack while a gunfight ensued between the police and militants last night on the national highway in Kalat and in the city.
It should be noted that August 26 marks the death anniversary of the former governor of Balochistan and the Sardar of the Bugti tribe, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, who was killed during Pervez Musharraf’s era.
Dawn News reported that armed men attacked Levies and police stations in Mastung, Kalat, Pasni and Suntsar last night.
Similarly, reports of blasts and grenade attacks were also received from Sibi Panjgur, Mastung, Turbat, Bela and Quetta and the railway track linking Pakistan with Iran at the bypass area of Mastung was also blown up.
The Baloch Liberation Army has claimed responsibility for the Kalat attack.
A blast in Surkhab Chowk in Pishin, Balochistan has left two children dead and fourteen people injured, including two policemen and two women, the medical Superintendent of Pishin Civil Hospital, Dr Wakeel Sherani, told Dawn News.
Pishin Station House Officer (SHO) Mujibur Rehman has confirmed the causalities.
He also confirmed that the injured have been shifted to Pishin Civil Hospital.
Two policemen were in critical condition, and doctors recommended transferring them to Quetta Hospital.
“Apparently, explosive material was planted in a motorcycle,” SHO Rehman claims.
He added, “Three vehicles were damaged after the bomb explosion”.
Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said, “Terrorists are targeting innocent and innocent people to achieve their nefarious goals.”
“Anti-society and anti-state elements do not deserve any concession,” Rind concluded.
The incumbent federal government has approved Rs 20 billion special allocation for the Azme-e-Istehkam operation during a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) to combat terrorism and extremism.
The meeting, presided over by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, allocated Rs 1.95 billion to Frontier Corp (FC) Balochistan for security expenses of the Reko Diq project and Rs 276.5 million to Frontier Corp Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) for project implementation Letters (PILs) out of Rs 2.23 billion.
Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, initiated by the Pakistan Army, is the seventh operation since the 2000s. It was followed by Rad-ul-Fasad in 2017.
The cabinet also approved Rs 100,000 sugar export at the request of Minister for Industries and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain.
Chief of Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rahman has denied that he is forming an alliance with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and said that his party will continue political activities on their own.
While speaking to the media at Dera Ismail Khan, he said, “Our alliance experience in the past has not been good, so we will continue our struggle on our own.”
He further stated, “We are talking to the PTI on an issue basis instead of entering into a political alliance.”
Fazlur Rehman made it clear that the party is not hostile to the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) or Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
The party led by Maulana Fazlur Rahman believed in launching an effort to achieve the rights of the oppressed people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, staying within the constitution.
