PMD spokesperson Hafiz Hamdullah and ten others have been injured in a bomb explosion on a national highway in Balochistan’s Mastung, officials said.
Hafiz Hamdullah was travelling with his gunman and others from Quetta to Mangochar, around 100 kilometres southwest of the provincial capital.
His car was targeted in a bomb explosion in the Choto area of Mastung, around 50 km from Quetta.
The Mustang blast was carried out using explosives planted in a motorcycle, a Counter Terrorism Department spokesperson said and added that explosives were detonated by remote control.
Around 5kg to 6kg of explosives were used in the blast.
A statement from the Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam (JUIF) said that Hamdullah was ‘out of danger’. He was sent to Quetta after initial medical aid.
Hamdullah’s gunman and associate are also among the injured.
The injured were initially brought to Mir Ghaus Bakhsh Raisani Hospital in Mastung.
Frontier Constabulary and Levies personnel rushed to the scene and cordoned off the area.
Mastung SSP Shoaib Masood confirmed that 11 people had been injured.
He said that the police were still determining the scale and nature of the explosion.
Images from the blast site showed three vehicles, including a coaster bus, riddled with holes from ball bearings and shattered windows.
The coaster was travelling from Quetta to Khuzdar, carrying passengers who were among the wounded.
Mujeeb Ahmed of Aaj News said that this could be a suicide attack.
Some reports citing an eyewitness said that a suicide bomber rammed his motorcycle into the car carrying Hamdullah.
The car was badly damaged but remained intact. Footage showed JUIF workers supporting Hafiz Hamdullah to get into another car.
The national highway where Hamdullah was targeted connects several Balochistan cities with Karachi.
This is a developing story.