Suicide bombers attack IGP's office in Balochistan; 9 killed
Islamabad/Karachi, Jan 29: Heavily armed suicide bombers attacked the Deputy Inspector General's office in Pakistan's restive southwestern Balochistan province Tuesday, killing nine people, including eight policemen.
The attack in Loralai also injured 21 others, including policemen and civilians. The injured who were shifted to hospital for treatment.
In a statement, the army said that three armed suicide bombers attempted entry into DIG police office compound Loralai when about 800 candidates were present in its premises for enrolment in Balochistan police.
"Police on duty responded and shot one of three suicide bombers at entry of DIG complex who also blew himself. Other two started indiscriminate firing and got into one of the side rooms," the statement said.
Nine persons, including eight policemen, and one civilian candidate were killed in the attack that also left 21 others, including 12 policemen, injured.
"All terrorists have been killed during the operation," the army said.
Inspector General of Police (Balochistan) Mohsin Hassan Butt said the terrorists attacked the office premises when a recruitment test for police clerks was underway.
"They attacked the office with gunfire and explosives. They initially opened fire and then detonated explosives," he told reporters.
The Medical Superintendent of Loralai Civil Hospital, Dr Fahim Kakar, said that they were treating 18 injured from the attack and conditions of two civilians was critical and they had been shifted to the military hospital.
No group has claimed the responsibility for the attack. However, Baloch nationalists carry out such attacks.
Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan condemned the attack and ordered a probe.
The attack comes just a day after it was reported that the government plans to raise a 50,000-strong special security force to ensure unhindered exploration of gas and oil in the remote and no-go areas of Balochistan which has witnessed regular violence from separatists and militants.
In a similar attack on January 1, four security personnel were killed when terrorists tried to storm the Frontier Corps training centre in the province. Four terrorists were also killed in the gunfight.
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Women's reservation must be implemented without being made contingent on delimitation: CM
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said that the Women's Reservation Bill is a long-overdue reform that must be implemented immediately within the existing framework, without being made contingent on delimitation.
Terming the delimitation as the political re-engineering at the cost of southern states, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said that these states will stand united, speak in one voice, and defend the true spirit of federalism.
The leaders' statements came a day before the Constitutional Amendment Bill with provisions on women's reservation implementation and delimitation was tabled in the Lok Sabha.
"You are right in highlighting the larger implications of the proposed delimitation approach and the concerns it raises for southern states. We wholeheartedly support the Women's Reservation Bill - it is a long-overdue reform that must be implemented immediately within the existing framework, without being made contingent on delimitation," Siddaramaiah said in a post on 'X'.
He was replying to his Telangana counterpart A Revanth Reddy's post on 'X' with a letter, urging the former to unitedly resist moves to push a pro rata model to increase Lok Sabha seats, which would be highly detrimental and inimical to the interests of southern states.
"Any exercise that reshapes political representation must be undertaken with utmost care. The Union Government must engage all states in a transparent and consultative process, and ensure that fairness, federal balance, and consensus guide this critical decision," Siddaramaiah added.
Shivakumar said that this is not a delimitation, but political re-engineering "at the cost of southern states".
"The proposal to increase Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 850 will systematically reduce the voice of the South, while rewarding unchecked population growth elsewhere. This is nothing but punishing progress and good governance," he posted on 'X'.
Clarifying that Congress fully supports women's reservation and in fact, it was party's top leader Sonia Gandhi's vision and commitment that brought this dream to the national agenda, the Deputy CM said, "We demand that it be implemented without linking it to delimitation or seat expansion."
"I urge the Union Govt to not hide behind women's empowerment to push a deely unfair political agenda. Rushing such a massive restructuring of India's democracy during elections, without transparency or consultation, is deeply suspicious and unacceptable," he said.
Asserting that India's strength lies in balance not domination, and in fairness, not manipulation, Shivakumar said, "The Southern states will stand united, speak in one voice, and defend the true spirit of federalism."
"We will not allow the South to be politically marginalised."
