<p>Sirajul Haq, the chief of an Islamist political party on Friday narrowly escaped a “suicide attack” that targeted his convoy in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province in which six people were injured, police said.</p> <p>Jamaat-i-Islami chief Haq's vehicle was partly damaged in the attack while he remained unhurt, Zhob city police station Station House Officer (SHO) Sher Ali Mandokhail told Dawn.com.</p> <p>All of the injured were being treated at Civil Hospital, Zhob and one of them was in critical condition, he said.</p> <p>He said that a body found at the site of the blast was of the suicide attacker.</p> <p>In a tweet, the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) also said that Haq — who was visiting the area to address a political gathering — was safe and that the attacker had been killed.</p> <p>“JI emir Siraj reached Quetta today and had to go further to Zhob where he had a political gathering today. When he was entering Zhob and people were welcoming him, a person came and blew himself up,” party spokesperson Qaisar Sharif said in a video message.</p> <p>“Everybody was safe in the suicide attack and there was no loss of lives. According to initial information, only some cars have been damaged and a few people have sustained injuries.” “The JI leadership is safe,” he added.</p> <p>According to SHO Mandokhail, Haq insisted on going to the venue of his political gathering after the blast. “He was given a clearance after additional police and law enforcement personnel were deployed.” The official said Zhob Assistant Commissioner Hafiz Tariq had been assigned the JI’s security.</p> <p>Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif “strongly” condemned the suicide attack, saying he had directed the Balochistan government to investigate the attack from all angles and bring the perpetrators to justice.</p> <p>Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo expressed grief over the suicide blast.</p> <p>“It is deeply regrettable that five people were injured in the incident,” he said.</p> <p>He said terrorists wanted to achieve their evil goals by spreading fear and insecurity in the province, adding that militants and their patrons will not be allowed to succeed.</p> <p>Resource-rich Balochistan in southwestern Pakistan borders Afghanistan and Iran, But it is also Pakistan’s largest and poorest province, rife with ethnic, sectarian and separatist insurgencies.</p> <p>Baloch nationalists are active in the Balochistan province and often target the security forces and people from other provinces, especially Punjab. </p> <p>(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)</p>
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