When Muhammad Zafar and his family of seven started their journey to Lahore stuffed in their Suzuki Mehran, their only concern were the new clothes bundled in the small boot of their hatchback. The family had a relative’s wedding to attend and there was palpable excitement about the cousins they would meet and the elaborate festivities that had been planned.

But what was supposed to be a celebration turned into mourning even before the family left Quetta properly.

When they reached Baleli, a suburb of Quetta, there was a massive explosion. The target was a trucky carrying Balochistan Constabulary personnel to be deployed for a polio vaccination drive.

A rickshaw carrying the suicide bomber reportedly rammed into the truck. The explosion was big enough to blow away two other vehicles - a sedan and the small Mehran carrying Zafar and his family.

Investigators believe at least 25 kgs of explosives was used in the attack considering the crater that formed at the site with the truck carrying the policemen toppling over.

Zafar remains in critical condition and cannot speak. His wife Zainab and youngest Imran, barely eight months old, who was with her in the front seat didn’t survive. His eight-year-old Adnan was also reported dead on arrival by the Trauma Centre & Emergency Department hospital in Quetta.

His eldest daughter Nadia, 13, and son Adil have more than 30% burns and are in critical condition. Four-year-old Nouman was somehow shielded and survived the explosion with minor injuries.

Aaj News was able to speak to Zafar’s cousin who said that the provincial government and local authorities were yet to offer condolence to the aggrieved family. They haven’t announced any compensation either, Sirajuddin said while pointing out that Zafar was a carpenter of limited means.

“Is our blood not Pakistani? Do we not belong to this country?”

He said that the medical services were also not up to par, while accusing doctors of negligence. “Our child is lying in the hospital in critical condition. He has not been reviewed by a neurosurgeon and they haven’t conducted a CT scan despite the passage of 30 hours,” he told Aaj News on Thursday.

The road where the explosion took place has been reopened for traffic and life has returned to normal there, continued Sirajuddin. “But it has come to a standstill at Zafar’s home.”