Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described the attack as ‘cowardly acts of terrorism’, saying such violence would not ‘weaken the resolve of the people of Pakistan’
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday strongly condemned a deadly bomb explosion near Chaman Patak in Quetta that killed at least 24 people and injured more than 50 others, including army personnel.
“I strongly condemn the heinous bomb explosion near Chaman Phatak, Quetta, which has resulted in the tragic loss of innocent lives and left many others injured,” Sharif said in a statement.
He also described the attack as “cowardly acts of terrorism”, saying such violence would not “weaken the resolve of the people of Pakistan”.
“We remain steadfast in our determination to eliminate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” he said.
The prime minister also expressed condolences to the families of the victims and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. “The entire nation stands in solidarity with the people of Balochistan in this hour of grief.”
The blast targeted a train carrying military personnel in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan, according to a senior official quoted by AFP.
Balochistan is Pakistan’s poorest province and largest by landmass. It lags behind the rest of the country in almost every index, including education, employment and economic development.
Baloch separatists accuse Pakistan’s government of exploiting the province’s natural gas and abundant mineral resources without benefiting the local population.
