Three Levies personnel martyred in Pishin blast

QUETTA: Three Levies Force personnel were martyred while two others received injuries in a remote controlled bomb blast near the Pishin Bypass area of Balochistan on Friday.

According to Levies sources, remote controlled explosive device was attached with a motorbike parked near Pishin’s Bypass, which was exploded through a remote control when Assistant Commissioner (AC) Barshore's vehicle was passing from there.

As a result, three Levies personnel were martyred while two others, including a driver Amanullah, received serious injuries. Security forces reached the site and shifted the dead bodies and injured to a nearby hospital.

The martyred personnel were identified as Asmatullah, Abdul Baqi and Jaffar Khan. Assistant Commissioner Barshore was not in his vehicle when the blast occurred. Law enforcement agencies cordoned off the entire area and started search to arrest suspects. Further probe was underway.

Meanwhile President Dr Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Imran Khan, Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser and Deputy Speaker National Assembly Qasim Khan Suri and others on Friday strongly condemned the Pishin blast and expressed deep grief over the loss of precious lives. The president in his statement prayed for the departed souls and fortitude for the bereaved families.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, while strongly condemning the blast, lauded the sacrifices of Levies towards law and order and security. He called for a report into the incident from the provincial government. The prime minister also expressed his sympathies with the bereaved families.

Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser and Deputy Speaker National Assembly Qasim Khan Suri have also strongly condemned the bomb blast near the Pishin bypass causing loss of precious lives of security personnel.

In their statements, the speaker and deputy speaker termed it a barbaric and shameful act of terrorism and expressed heartfelt grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives of security personnel. They said that the elements involved in such activities were the enemies of humanity and wanted to sabotage the democratic process in the country. They said that such shameful acts cannot deter our firm resolve against terrorism. They sympathised with bereaved families and prayed to Almighty Allah to rest the souls of martyred in eternal peace.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain also strongly condemned the Pishin blast and expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of Levies personnel lives. In a statement, the minister said that Pakistani nation had given supreme sacrifices in the war against terrorism. He said the martyrs in that war were the real heroes and the nation would continue paying tributes to them. He said that the conspiracy to disrupt the progress of Balochistan would be foiled.

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar also condemned the blast occurring near the vehicle of assistant commissioner at Pishin Bypass. In a statement issued in Lahore on Friday, he expressed his deep sense of sorrow and grief over the martyrdom of Levies officials. He extended sympathies to the bereaved families and prayed for early recovery of the injured.