Fear grips travelers a day after deadly bombing at Pakistan train station

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Updated 10 November 2024
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Fear grips travelers a day after deadly bombing at Pakistan train station

Fear grips travelers a day after deadly bombing at Pakistan train station
  • The suicide bombing at Quetta Railway Station killed 26 people and injured 64 others on Saturday morning
  • This was the deadliest attack since coordinated assaults in August that killed over 50 people in Balochistan

QUETTA: Fear gripped passengers traveling via trains on Sunday from Quetta to different parts of the country, a day after a deadly suicide bombing killed more than two dozen people in the southwestern Pakistani city.

At least 26 people were killed and 64 others injured when a bomb blast struck the Quetta Railway Station early on Saturday morning in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province, according to officials.

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) separatist group claimed responsibility for the attack, the deadliest since a string of coordinated assaults on Aug. 25-26 in which more than 50 people, civilians and security officials, were killed in the region.

On Sunday, signs of destruction and blood stains were still visible at the railway station and passengers traveling from Quetta to other cities described the environment as “fearful.” 

“There is silence at the railway station this morning because everyone is in fear due to Saturday’s attack,” Muhammad Mubashir, a 24-year-old passenger who was traveling to Sibi, told Arab News.

“After any attack, the government increases the security arrangements but after a couple of days, they end the stringent security.”




Police personnel stand guard outside a railway station, a day after an explosion allegedly by Pakistani separatists in Quetta, Pakistan, on November 10, 2024. (AFP)

Muhammad Ijaz, who came to see off his family at the railway station, was concerned about safety of his children who were traveling to Multan.

“The government must provide security to the commuters traveling through trains because it is a reasonable traveling service for poor passengers,” he demanded.

Imran Hayat, the Quetta divisional superintendent of Pakistan Railways, said they had beefed up security measures at the railway station following Saturday’s attack.

“It is very difficult to take preventive measures against suicide bombings, however, we have increased vigilance and due diligence at the Quetta Railway Station,” he told Arab News.




People mourn the death of their relatives in a hospital following a bomb blast at a railway station in Quetta, Pakistan, on November 9, 2024. (AP)

Balochistan is a resource-rich but impoverished province where separatist militants have been fighting a decades-long insurgency to win secession of the region. Insurgents say they are fighting what they see as the unfair exploitation of the province’s mineral and gas wealth by the federation at the center.

The Pakistani government and military deny they are exploiting Balochistan and have long maintained that neighbors such as India, Afghanistan and Iran foment trouble in the remote province and support and fund the insurgency there to impede its development potential. Balochistan is home to major China-led investment projects such as a strategic port and a gold and copper mine.

In a statement shared with the media, the BLA said its suicide unit, the Majeed Brigade, had carried out the bombing to target a “Pakistani army unit” returning via train after completing a course at an infantry school. The claim has not yet been confirmed by the Pakistani military.

The rise in separatist attacks in Balochistan poses a major challenge for the weak coalition government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, which is battling an economic crisis and political instability as well as a rise in militant violence by both religiously motivated and separatist groups across the country.

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Army Chief General Asim Munir visited Quetta on Saturday to attend funeral prayers of those killed in the railway station attack.




In this handout photo, taken and released by Pakistan’s Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan’s civil and military leadership attend the funeral prayers of army officers, who were killed during a suicide bombing in Quetta early Saturday, in Quetta on November 10, 2024. (ISPR)

“We must battle this terrorism together. Apart from the Balochistan government and the federation, the people of Pakistan have to fight against it too,” Naqvi told reporters in Quetta alongside Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti.

“And you will see, God willing, as the chief minister said, we will eliminate this wave of terrorism.”

 


Pakistani security forces kill four militants in restive Balochistan province

Pakistani security forces kill four militants in restive Balochistan province
Updated 11 sec ago
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Pakistani security forces kill four militants in restive Balochistan province

Pakistani security forces kill four militants in restive Balochistan province
  • Balochistan has long been the site of an insurgency, which has intensified in recent years
  • On Saturday, an army officer was killed and three civilians injured in an explosion in Quetta

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces have killed four militants in the country’s southwestern Balochistan province, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday.

The militants were killed during an intelligence-based operation conducted on the night of July 19 and 20 in Balochistan’s Pahrod area.

“A clearance operation is underway in the area,” the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported, adding security personnel seized weapons from the site of the encounter.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest and most resource-rich province, has long grappled with a simmering insurgency by separatist groups operating in the region.

Attacks targeting security forces, government officials and non-local workers have intensified in recent months, despite repeated crackdowns and security operations by the state.

On Saturday, an army officer was killed and three civilians, including a child, were injured in a magnetic improvised explosive device (IED) blast in the restive region. The explosion targeted a private vehicle in the western bypass area of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, police said.

On July 16, three people were killed and 12 wounded in an armed assault on a passenger bus in Kalat district. The attack followed another incident in which nine passengers from Punjab were kidnapped and killed by militants.


Opposition in Pakistan’s KP cries foul as assembly session adjourns without oath-taking

Opposition in Pakistan’s KP cries foul as assembly session adjourns without oath-taking
Updated 20 July 2025
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Opposition in Pakistan’s KP cries foul as assembly session adjourns without oath-taking

Opposition in Pakistan’s KP cries foul as assembly session adjourns without oath-taking
  • Addition of new lawmakers in KP Assembly opposed to PTI will deal a blow to Khan’s party in power there
  • Peshawar High Court nominates KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi to administer oath to lawmakers “at the earliest” 

ISLAMABAD: Opposition lawmakers in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province protested on Sunday after the assembly’s session was adjourned without the oath-taking of members on reserved parliamentary seats for women and minorities. 

The matter of reserved seats has become a controversial one in Pakistan. The country’s top court ruled in June that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan was not entitled to reserved seats in the national and provincial legislatures. 

The dispute about the reserved seats stems from the February 8 general elections, where PTI candidates contested as independents after the party lost its electoral symbol for not holding valid intra-party elections, as required under the Elections Act. Despite winning the most general seats in the national polls, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ruled that PTI was ineligible for reserved seats for women and minorities in parliament, which are allocated based on proportional representation from among the seats won by political parties.

The reserved seats were then allocated to other political parties, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party and its coalition partners. At least 21 women and four minority members were supposed to take oath as members of the KP Assembly on reserved seats today, Sunday, as per local media reports.

“New members poised to take their oath on reserved seats in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly were unable to do so today due to a lack of quorum, forcing the session to be adjourned,” state television channel PTV News reported.

The reserved seats were crucial for the PTI, which is the largest party in KP and has formed its government in the northwestern province consecutively since 2013.

According to state media, PTI lawmaker Sher Ali Afridi highlighted the lack of quorum early in the session. As attendance remained insufficient, Speaker Babar Saleem Swati adjourned proceedings until 2:00 p.m. on July 24.

“Addressing media in Peshawar, Leader of the Opposition Dr. Ibaadullah sharply criticized the provincial government, stating it was ‘playing with the assembly,’” PTV News reported.

“He lamented that the province has been deprived of its due representation in the Senate for more than a year. “

KP GOVERNOR TO ADMINISTER OATH

Following the delay, KP opposition lawmakers filed a petition at the Peshawar High Court, urging the chief justice to nominate an authority to administer the oath to lawmakers on reserved seats. 

The PHC subsequently issued an order seen by Arab News, in which it nominated KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi to administer the oath to the lawmakers “at the earliest.”

PTI’s KP chapter criticized the verdict on social media platform X. 

 

 

“The judiciary is supposed to be a pillar of the state, but unfortunately, Pakistan’s judiciary has been reduced to a subordinate institution that people use for their own interests,” it wrote, sharing a copy of the PHC’s order. 

The addition of new lawmakers in KP Assembly opposed to the PTI will numerically strengthen the opposition while dealing yet another blow to Khan’s party. 

The former prime minister’s party has faced legal and political challenges since the downfall of its administration in a no-confidence vote in April 2022.

Khan’s party launched a 90-day “do-or-die” anti-government protest drive earlier this month, saying it would reach its “peak” on August 5, marking two years since the former premier was jailed on corruption charges.


Six dead, 20 injured as passenger bus overturns in southern Pakistan 

Six dead, 20 injured as passenger bus overturns in southern Pakistan 
Updated 20 July 2025
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Six dead, 20 injured as passenger bus overturns in southern Pakistan 

Six dead, 20 injured as passenger bus overturns in southern Pakistan 
  • Passenger bus was heading from Karachi toward Keenjhar Lake in Thatta district, says rescue service 
  • One person dead, several injured as another bus overturns in Khairpur district, media reports say

KARACHI: Six people were killed while 20 others were injured when a passenger bus overturned in the southern district of Thatta on Sunday, an emergency rescue service said. 

The bus was heading from Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi toward Keenjhar Lake in Sindh’s Thatta district when the accident occurred. Six people were killed and 20 injured in the accident, Rescue 1122 Sindh service said in a statement. 

“The deceased and injured have been shifted to the Civil Hospital Thatta,” the statement said. 

In a separate incident, one person died while several others were injured after a passenger bus reportedly overturned on the Gambat National Highway in Sindh’s Khairpur district. 

Sindh Home Minister Zia Ul Hassan Lanjar expressed sorrow over the loss of lives in both accidents, a statement from his office said. 

“Drivers must not let go of caution while driving,” Lanjar said. “Even a minor mistake can lead to the loss of valuable human lives.”

Road accidents are common in Pakistan, where several roads are in dilapidated condition and drivers often avoid following traffic regulations.


OIC’s COMSTECH invites Gaza universities’ presidents to Islamabad to explore academic continuity

OIC’s COMSTECH invites Gaza universities’ presidents to Islamabad to explore academic continuity
Updated 20 July 2025
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OIC’s COMSTECH invites Gaza universities’ presidents to Islamabad to explore academic continuity

OIC’s COMSTECH invites Gaza universities’ presidents to Islamabad to explore academic continuity
  • Gaza universities’ officials stress immediate need for virtual learning platforms, remote laboratory facilities for Palestinians
  • COMSTECH, Pakistani private universities have launched program to provide 5,000 scholarships for Palestinian students 

ISLAMABAAD: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) COMSTECH Coordinator General Dr. Iqbal Choudhary on Sunday invited the presidents of major Gaza universities to Islamabad, hoping their visit would lead to solutions for academic continuity in the war-torn area. 

The OIC’s Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) has facilitated Palestinian students in securing higher education amid Israel’s military offensive in Gaza. Israeli strikes in Gaza have killed at least 57,000 people and destroyed hundreds of schools since October 2023, dealing a major blow to the education sector in the area. 

Choudhary held a high-level virtual meeting with the presidents of all major universities in Gaza to coordinate a “collective humanitarian and academic response” to the war’s impact on higher education sector in the region, the OIC body said in its press release. 

“During the meeting, the Coordinator General extended a formal invitation to Gaza’s university presidents currently outside the region to visit Islamabad,” the statement said.

“The visit aims to foster direct dialogue with key stakeholders and explore collaborative solutions to sustain academic continuity under these extraordinary circumstances.”

Choudhary conveyed his deep concern for the people of Palestine, particularly academics, students, and researchers as Israel’s war rages on. 

“The suffering of the people of Gaza is unbearable, yet their resilience is inspiring,” Choudhary was quoted as saying by COMSTECH. 

During the meeting, the university representatives gave a presentation highlighting key proposals to facilitate medical training for displaced students, capacity-building for health professionals, access to scientific publishing, and supporting research on the psychological impact of war, COMSTECH said.

“Participants also emphasized the immediate need for virtual learning platforms and remote laboratory facilities as many university campuses have been destroyed,” the statement added. 

COMSTECH, in collaboration with the Association of Private Sector Universities of Pakistan (APSUP) and member universities of the COMSTECH Consortium of Excellence, initiated a program in 2021 offering 500 fully funded scholarships and fellowships to Palestinian students.

This number was increased to 5,000 scholarships in 2023. Many Palestinian students have already arrived in Pakistan under this program and are pursuing full-degree programs, while efforts are underway to bring more students to the country.


Pakistan-India ‘World Championship of Legends’ cricket match called off amid tensions

Pakistan-India ‘World Championship of Legends’ cricket match called off amid tensions
Updated 20 July 2025
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Pakistan-India ‘World Championship of Legends’ cricket match called off amid tensions

Pakistan-India ‘World Championship of Legends’ cricket match called off amid tensions
  • Match called off hours after India’s Shikhar Dhawan withdrew from fixtures against Pakistan 
  • WCL features retired, non-contracted players from India, Pakistan, England and other nations

ISLAMABAD: A match between veteran cricket stars from India and Pakistan as part of the “World Championship of Legends (WCL)” tournament was called off on Sunday, the league announced after Indian players withdrew due to political tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi. 

Sporting ties between arch-rivals India and Pakistan have remained limited due to political tensions between the two countries. Both countries engaged in the worst fighting between them in decades in May this year before a ceasefire was brokered by Washington on May 10. 

The WCL is a T20 tournament approved by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) held in England every year. The WCL features retired and non-contracted players from cricketing giants, including England, India, Pakistan, Australia, West Indies, and South Africa. 

In a statement released on its social media accounts, the WCL said it had decided to hold the India-Pakistan match in Birmingham after news that the Pakistan hockey team will be coming to India this year, and witnessing the recent India vs Pakistan under-16 volleyball match in Thailand. 

“But maybe in the process, we ended up hurting the feelings of many and stirring emotions,” the WCL’s message read. 

“More than that, we unintentionally caused discomfort to our Indian Cricket Legends, who have brought so much glory to the country, and we ended up affecting the brands who supported us purely out of love for the game.”

WCL said it was due to these reasons it had decided to call off the match. 

“We sincerely apologize again for hurting the sentiments and hope people will understand that all we ever wanted was to bring a few happy moments to the fans,” it concluded. 

The league’s owners include its founder, Indian entrepreneur Harshit Tomar and Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn. 

The statement came hours after Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan wrote on X that he was withdrawing from India’s WCL matches with Pakistan. 

“My country is everything for me and nothing is worth more than that,” he wrote. 

The second edition of the WCL started on July 18 in Birmingham and has seen three matches played so far. Pakistan played the opening game of the tournament but Sunday’s clash was going to be India’s first.

Former Indian batter Yuvraj Singh is leading the India side while ex-Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez is leading the green shirts.