People transfer an injured man to hospital in southwest Pakistan's Quetta on July 13, 2018. At least 30 people were killed and 60 others injured after a suicide blast hit a convoy of a politician in Mastung district in southwestern Pakistan on Friday, according to local reports. (Xinhua/Irfan)
ISLAMABAD, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Death toll of the suicide blast that hit an election gathering in Pakistan's southwest district of Mastung on Friday has risen to 35, a local government official said.
Qaim Lashari, the deputy commissioner of Mastung, told local media that a suicide bomber exploded his explosives-laden vest near the convoy of Nawabzada Siraj Raisani as it reached a rally of Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) in the Darengarh area of Mastung in Balochistan province.
Besides the 35 killed, over 70 people were injured in the blast, out of which several were said to be in critical condition, said hospital sources.
According to the official, the attack was targeting the BAP's leader Raisani who lost his life in the attack.
Most of the injured were shifted to the Civil Hospital Mastung while those in critical condition had been sent to the Civil Hospital Quetta for better treatment where an emergency has been declared with additional medical staff summoned, according to local media reports.
Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain and caretaker Prime Minister Nasir-ul-Mulk strongly condemned the deadly attack in the district. Both of them expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of lives in the attack and directed the concerned authorities to provide best medical treatment to the injured.
Raisani was a candidate for a provincial assembly and he was campaigning for the July 25 general elections. He was also a younger brother of Nawab Aslam Raisani, former chief minister of Balochistan.
The Election Commission of Pakistan has announced to postpone elections in the constituency owing to the death of Raisani.
This is the third major terrorist attack on a candidate ahead of the general elections over the last three days.
Earlier on Friday morning, at least four people were killed and 24 others injured in a blast that hit a convoy of a political party leader in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
On Wednesday, Awami National Party candidate Haroon Bilour was among the 22 killed in an attack on his election rally in the northwest Peshawar city.
