In a heartbreaking tragedy, at least five children lost their lives and over 40 others sustained injuries in a suicide blast in Pakistan targeting a school bus near Zero Point on the Karachi-Quetta National Highway in Khuzdar on Wednesday.
According to local authorities, the explosion occurred when a bus carrying schoolchildren passed near a vehicle parked on the roadside, rigged with explosives. The blast rocked the busy Zero Point area, a significant junction along the national highway frequently used by commuters and transporters.
Suicide Attack Confirmed by Officials
A senior police official confirmed that the explosive device detonated remotely as the school bus approached the vehicle. “The explosive material was planted in a car parked at the roadside. It was remotely triggered to target the bus carrying innocent children,” he said.
However, Deputy Commissioner Khuzdar later confirmed that the tragic incident was in fact a suicide attack. He added that emergency response teams acted swiftly, and the injured transported to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) for urgent medical treatment.
The suicide blast in Pakistan has triggered widespread condemnation across the country. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi strongly denounced the attack, expressing deep sorrow over the loss of innocent lives.
“The beasts who target innocent children do not deserve any concession,” he said. “This barbaric attack on a school bus a heinous conspiracy aimed at destabilising the country. Every conspiracy foiled by the unity of the nation.”
In a heartfelt message shared on X (formerly Twitter), Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan also slammed the attack, calling it “condemnable and regrettable.” He described the targeting of schoolchildren as the height of brutality and cowardice.
The Khuzdar school bus blast has once again raised serious concerns about security lapses, especially along critical national routes. With the suicide blast in Pakistan drawing global attention, pressure mounting on law enforcement agencies to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure that those responsible brought to justice.
As families mourn the untimely loss of young lives, mosques across the region held special prayers, and candlelight vigils planned in several cities to honour the victims. Social media platforms flooded with messages of grief, unity, and calls for stronger measures against terrorism.
