Raisani’s nephew killed in blast

Source: the nation

QUETTA - Mir Akmal Raisani, a nephew of Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani, was killed while 23 others including 12 security personnel were wounded in a bomb blast on Friday in Mastung town, some 60kms southeast of the provincial capital.

Officials said, Mir Siraj Raisani, the younger brother of the CM, along with his son Mir Akmal Raisani, 16, was about to board his vehicle after distributing awards among winners of football final when a powerful blast took place. The ceremony in the main stadium of Mastung was held for the final match of All Pakistan Sarawan Football tournament.
As the bomb went off, the body guards of Siraj Raisani and police escort started firing in the air to keep the general public away. It was then that Akmal Raisani and 23 others including eight personnel of Anti Terrorist Force and four policemen were injured.
Akmal Raisani and other seriously wounded were rushed to local hospital and later they were shifted to Quetta for further medical treatment. However, the nephew of the CM Raisani succumbed to his injuries at the Combined Military Hospital Quetta. “Akmal had received bullet in his abdomen and owing to loss of excessive blood during one hour drive from Mastung to Quetta he succumbed to his injuries,” hospital sources said, adding that condition of six other injured too was serious.
After the incident a large number of people belonging to different walks of lives reached to hospital. Later, people blocked the road in different parts of the provincial capital to protest over the killing of Akmal Raisani. Police sources said an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was planted at the site and it was detonated with remote control when the CM’s brother and his nephew were about to move.
It may be mentioned here that Pakistan Army has made arrangement on a large scale for celebrating Independence Day this year by mobilising the government departments, NGOs, government and private schools, to give an impression that the law and order situation in Balochistan has improved. The football tournament was also part of independence celebrations and it is believed that Baloch militants may be behind the bomb attack. However, no group has yet claimed responsibility.
On the other hand, incidents of rocket attacks, blowing up of railway tracks and gas pipelines have increased across the province as defunct Baloch Liberation Army had warned that it would not let state forces to celebrate Independence Day on Baloch land.