Gunmen kill 13 bus passengers in Pakistan

QUETTA, Pakistan: Dozens of gunmen disguised in police uniforms shot to death 13 people they pulled off of a convoy of buses in southwest Pakistan and dumped their bodies in a nearby ravine, officials said Tuesday.

The motive for the attack Monday night was unclear since no one has claimed responsibility. But suspicion may fall on separatists who have been waging a low-level insurgency in southwest Baluchistan province for decades.The buses were headed to central Punjab province, and the separatists have a history of attacking Punjabis who they view as outsiders encroaching on their independence. The province is also home to many Islamic militants who have carried out attacks in the past, especially on minority Shiite Muslims.

Police officer killed, six injured in Quetta

QUETTA: Unknown gunmen opened indiscriminate fire on a police van in Killi Almo area of Quetta killing station house officer (SHO) of City police station and injuring six others on Thursday.

SHO Mohibullah, along with four of his children and two other policemen, had left his residence in a police van when it came under fire from unknown motorcycle-riding gunmen in Killi Almo area of Balochistan's capital city.

Blast in Quetta Police Lines mosque kills DIG Operations

QUETTA: DIG Operations and seven other officials were killed, while 20 others were injured in a suicide blast at Police Lines, Quetta, on Thursday, Express News reported.

The blast took place just before the funeral prayers of SHO City Mohib Ullah commenced at the Police Lines mosque.

Bugti murder case: ATC orders authorities to produce Musharraf

QUETTA/ISLAMABAD: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Quetta on Monday ordered the authorities to produce former military ruler General (retd) Pervez Musharraf before it in a case pertaining to the murder of Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akber Khan Bugti, DawnNews reported.

During the hearing of the Bugti murder case, Balochistan’s former interior minister Aftab Khan Sherpao appeared before the ATC.

Four Shia Hazaras among seven gunned down in Quetta

QUETTA: At least seven people, including four members of the Shia Hazara community, were shot dead Monday in separate incidents of violence in Quetta, the capital of militancy-hit Balochistan province.

Gunmen opened fire at a vehicle in Quetta, killing four men belonging to the ethnic Shia Hazara community. In a separate incident later at night, gunmen on a motorcycle shot dead three and injured another person in the city’s Khudaidad Chowk area.

Militant commander killed in Mastung

QUETTA: A militant commander of a defunct sectarian organisation was killed in an operation conducted by security forces in Mastung district of Balochistan on Wednesday.

An intelligence official told Dawn.com on the condition of anonymity that security forces conducted an operation, which lasted for more than an hour, in Dasht area of Mastung district.

He added that two militants of the banned organisation were picked up during the operation and a huge quantity of arms and ammunition was also recovered.

Quetta shuts down to mourn attack as blast toll rises to 30

QUETTA: The death toll in the Quetta suicide bombing reached 30 on Monday morning as two of the injured persons succumbed to their injuries in the Combined Military Hospital.

Earlier on Sunday night, at least 28 men and women of Shia Hazara community were killed and 60 others injured in a suicide blast in the Aliabad area of Hazara town.

Shehzada Farhat, a senior government official, told Dawn.com that the condition of some the injured persons was still serious. The wounded were being treated at the army run CMH.

Bombing in southeast Pakistan kills 2

QUETTA: An alleged suicide bomber and a civilian were killed in a explosion near a mosque in Kuchlak area of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province on Thursday.

A police officer who requested not to be named since he was not authorised to speak to media told Dawn.com that a suspected suicide bomber was carrying a suicide jacket, when killed in a mysterious blast.

"The suicide bomber was coming to Quetta to cause maximum damage, when his own suicide jacket went off", he said.

Armed militants kill three policemen in Killa Saifullah

QUETTA: Armed militants killed three policemen in Killa Saifullah district of Balochistan on Sunday, June 16.

Police sources told Dawn.com that the militants attacked a check post in Muslim Bagh area of Killa Saifullah where three deployed policemen were killed.

Akbar Bugti case: Arrest warrants issued for Shaukat Aziz, Pervez Musharraf

QUETTA: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) issued non-bailable arrest warrants against former dictator Pervez Musharraf and former prime minister Shaukat Aziz in connection with the Akbar Bugti murder case on Monday, reported Express News.

The arrest warrants were issued due to repeated absence from the court. The former governor of Balochistan, Owais Ghani and former deputy commissioner of Dera Bugti, Samad Lasi were also included in the list of issued arrest warrants.

NO END TO BULLET-RIDDLED BODIES

QUETTA: Five bullet-riddled bodies were recovered in different parts of Balochistan on Sunday, June 9.According to levies sources, three bodies were found in Johan area of Kalat. They said that the dead bodies were almost one month old. The victims belonged to Bibi Nani area of Bolan district and they were kidnapped a month ago by armed gunmen.

Balochistan CM does away with secret fund

QUETTA: Announcing the abolition of secret funds in his address to the provincial assembly soon after taking oath as the 14th Chief Minister of Balochistan, Dr Abdul Malik Baloch on Sunday said he would rule with respect and prefer resignation to compromising on principles.

Governor Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi administered the oath of office to Dr Malik at the Governor’s House. Acting Chief Minister Nawab Ghous Bukhsh Barozai, Speaker Mir Jan Muhammad Khan Jamali, Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Alam Khan Khattak, IG Frontier Corps (FC) Maj.

Women, child among 5 killed in Quetta operation

QUETTA: At least two alleged terrorists, two women and a child were killed in a joint operation carried out by police and Frontier Constabulary in Quetta’s Kharotabad area early morning, SAMAA reports Thursday.

The exchange of fire with militants also left 16 security men injured when the law enforcers raided a house in Kharotabad neighborhood of Quetta on a tip off that some militants were hiding there.

Bugti murder case: Musharraf files for pre-arrest bail in ATC

QUETTA: Former military ruler Pervez Musharraf filed a pre-bail arrest plea in the Akbar Bugti murder case in Quetta’s anti-terrorist court, DawnNews reported.

The application was filed by Musharraf’s counsel and the court was to discuss and rule on the plea on June 6.

Earlier, former interior minister Aftab Sherpao requested the bench to summon Musharraf to appear before the court in the Bugti murder case. A notice was subsequently issued by the ATC to the former army strongman.

PML-N to head govt in Balochistan, says leader

QUETTA: The spokesman for the provincial chapter of the PML-N rejected on Sunday reports that the party leadership had agreed to offer the post of Balochistan’s chief minister to the National Party (NP) and insisted that it had decided that the post would go to the PML-N.

Talking to reporters at the press club, Santosh Kumar said the PML-N had acquired majority in the provincial assembly and the voters had empowered it to head the provincial government.

Attack on PML-N rally in Turbat kills two

QUETTA: At least two people were killed and three others were injured when gunmen opened fire on a Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) rally in Balochistan’s Turbat region on Thursday.According to police, PML-N candidate for PB-50 Mohammad Akbar Askani, who had joined the party last year, was the target, however, he survived the attack.Moreover, a wheel-jam strike was being observed against the coming polls in Baloch-dominated areas of Kalat, Mastung, Khuzdar, Turbat and Noshki.

Around 24 killed in JUI-F Kurram rally blast

ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR/QUETTA : A bomb blast struck a JUI-F public meeting in central Kurram on Monday, killing as many as 24 persons and injuring over 50 others, including two candidates of the religious party.However, a spokesman of the Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl confirmed that over 50 people were injured.

Around 3000 people were attending the rally, jointly organised by the party’s candidates from NA-37 and NA-38 Haji Munir Khan Orakzai and Ainuddin Shakir at a local seminary in Sewak village of Para Chamkani area, when the bomb planted at the site went off.

Balochistan: Attack on two polling stations

QUETTA: Bombers on Thursday blew up two schools designated as polling stations for general election next week, police said.

A boys’ primary school and a middle school were bombed at the village of Chattar in Naseerabad district in Balochistan.

“The school buildings were designated as polling stations for the May 11 general election and we think that they were targeted for this reason,” district police chief Tahir Allauddin told AFP.

Terror attacks on election candidates continue

SHIKARPUR/QUETTA: At least two people were injured in a suicide attack which occurred near the Shikarpur toll plaza on Wednesday, DawnNews reported.

The blast took place near the convoy of National Peoples Party’s candidate Dr Ibrahim Jatoi in Shikarpur who remained unhurt.

In another incident, three people were reported injured when a bomb exploded in Balochistan’s Dera Murad Jamali region.

Bomb targets PML-N Balochistan chief, kills three family members

QUETTA: At least four people were killed, including the son of the provincial chief of the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) Sanaullah Zehri, when a blast targeted his convoy in restive Balochistan’s Khuzdar district.

The blast, which shook the PML-N leader’s convoy in Anjira area of Khuzdar district, also claimed the lives of his brother, nephew, and personal guard.

Zehri, however, managed to stay unharmed.

According to Levies officials, Zehri’s convoy was targeted through a remote-controlled bomb, which was planted below Ghat Pul (bridge) area of Anjira. The blast has destroyed the bridge and five vehicles in convoy of Sardar Zehri, said the officials.