Protests Erupt in Pakistan’s Balochistan Following Deadly Suicide Attack

TDT | Manama

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At least 60 people were arrested and police used tear gas in Pakistan’s poorest province, Balochistan, on Monday as protesters demanded accountability for a recent suicide attack claimed by the Islamic State.

The protests followed a bombing at a political rally on September 2 that killed 15 people. Businesses across more than a dozen cities in Balochistan closed as demonstrators took to the streets.

In the provincial capital Quetta, police detained protesters blocking roads and fired tear gas to disperse crowds. “The government has warned protesters that while they have the democratic right to protest peacefully, they cannot block roads, disrupt traffic, or force businesses to close,” said Senior Police Superintendent Muhammad Baloch.

Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, has a history of violence, often carried out by jihadists from IS-Khorasan, IS-Pakistan, or Baloch separatist groups.

Ahead of Monday’s strike, the Balochistan National Party (BNP) called on citizens to unite across political, tribal, and class lines to demand justice for the attack. “Isn’t the state responsible for this? Wasn’t it the duty of the state to protect these innocent people?” said BNP chief Akhtar Mengal.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the bombing, which took place in a stadium parking lot in Quetta where hundreds of BNP supporters had gathered for the rally.