Radical Pakistani group to hold protests across Balochistan against Quetta blast

A radical Pakistani group has announced that it will hold demonstrations across Balochistan on Saturday to protest against a bomb attack in Quetta that targeted participants of a conference alleging the attack took place due to "negligence" of the Imran Khan government.

The explosion took place on Thursday night at the gate of Science College in Quetta when workers and leaders of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-I) were returning from the college auditorium at the end of the Shuhada Conference. The bomb attack left six people dead and 13 injured.

According to Samaa TV, the blast has targeted the participants of a JUI-N conference.

Addressing a press conference in Quetta on Friday, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Nazryati (JUI-N) leader Maulana Abdul Qadir Loni said that the blast outside the Science College occurred due to negligence of the government and security agencies, Samaa TV reported.

He said the preparations for the conference, which was targeted in the explosion, had been going on for a month and before the event, all the concerned agencies and officers including the Deputy Commissioner and IG Police were informed, but adequate security was not provided.

He said that Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam does not believe in using dead bodies to advance its politics or else it would have protested before the Chief Minister House with bodies, Samaa TV reported.

He urged Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo to expand the scope of the investigation and bring the culprits to justice.

( With inputs from ANI )