Two people were killed and 30 wounded in an explosion in Quetta near a vehicle belonging to pro-Taliban cleric Maulana Fazlur Rehman, chief of Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam. "My bullet-proof car has been badly damaged in the blast," Maulana Rehman told a private television channel. Senior Superintendent of Police Asad Raza told Reuters: "The crime scene evidence suggests that it was a suicide blast." Maulana Rehman was the target of the attack," Balochistan Home Minister, Sarfaraz Bugti told a private television channel.

INP adds: JUI (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had a narrow escape as a suicide bomber detonated explosives near his vehicle outside a political rally in Quetta on Thursday. At least two people were killed and 15 others injured when a suspected suicide bomber detonated his explosives as soon as a JUI (F) rally ended at the Sadiq Shaheed Stadium and Maulana Fazlur Rehman boarded his vehicle.

The blast occurred outside the rally venue where thousands of JUI-F supporters had gathered. After the blast, the gates of the stadium were shut to avoid further losses. Meanwhile, banned outfit Jundullah has claimed the responsibility of the suicide attack on Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUIF) chief, Maulana Fazlur Rahman. According to a private television channel, the commander of banned Jundullah, Ahmed said that his organisation waged a suicide attack on Maulana Fazlur Rahman. In a brief statement, he said that his organisation targeted the JUIF chief due to his pro-democracy approach.

Copyright Associated Press of Pakistan, 2014

Copyright News Network International, 2014