The Islamic State (IS) group has claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing at a rally of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP) in Quetta, which killed at least 15 people and left more than 30 others wounded.
The attack took place on Monday evening outside Shahwani Stadium, shortly after the BNP rally had concluded. According to health officials, five of the injured later died in hospital, while 29 others remain under treatment. Authorities said severely wounded patients may be shifted to Karachi for further medical care.
IS claim
In a statement circulated by its affiliated outlets Amaq and Khilafat News, Islamic State named the attacker as “Ali al-Muhajir” and said the BNP was targeted because of its “nationalist and democratic style of politics”, which the group claimed violated its interpretation of Islamic law.
This was the second attempt to target BNP leader Sardar Akhtar Mengal this year. In March, a suicide bomber attempted to attack him during a sit-in protest in Mastung.
Akhtar Mengal blames the state
Following Monday’s attack, Mengal told BBC Urdu that the government had failed to prevent repeated attempts on his life. He alleged that the state had not investigated earlier threats and had withdrawn his official security.
Mengal said BNP faced delays and obstructions in securing permission for the Quetta rally, claiming that a senior government figure had even sent a messenger to warn him that “a powerful person” was preparing action against him. “If they truly cared for our safety, they would not have withdrawn my and my colleagues’ security,” he added.
Mourning and condemnation
BNP declared three days of mourning, with markets in Mengal’s hometown of Wadh shuttered. Lawyers’ organisations across Makran — including the High Court Bar Association and bar associations in Kech, Gwadar and Panjgur — also announced a three-day boycott of court proceedings, condemning the bombing as an attempt to suppress democratic voices in Balochistan.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) called the bombing part of a “policy of silencing Baloch political voices through violence”, arguing it was not a case of security failure but rather part of a broader pattern of repression. It pointed to the lack of investigation into previous attacks, including the Mastung incident earlier this year.
Similarly, the Baloch National Movement (BNM) described the Quetta bombing as “a continuation of state violence” and said it sent a message to all Baloch political factions, including those engaged in parliamentary politics. While reiterating its political differences with BNP, BNM leader Dr Naseem Baloch insisted the attack was part of what he described as a strategy of “collective punishment and suppression of dissent”.
Government response
At a press conference with police officials, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Hamza Shafqaat said the incident had been “beyond control” and that BNP organisers had been asked three times to end the rally due to security concerns.
“The blast occurred 45 minutes after the rally had concluded, some 500 metres from the venue,” he said. “Had it happened inside, the casualties would have been far higher.” He confirmed that the bomber was under 30 years of age but said his identity had yet to be established.
Shafqaat said 120 police officers had been deployed at the rally and added that tighter restrictions would be imposed on gatherings in future, including a ban on political events after evening prayers.
Accusations of negligence
BNP leaders rejected the official explanation. Party figure Sana Baloch accused the provincial government of “wilful neglect”, noting that while massive security resources were allocated to recent state-sponsored events such as Independence Day celebrations and sports tournaments, a peaceful political rally was left vulnerable.
“This negligence,” he wrote on social media, “reveals a deliberate policy to target Baloch and Pashtun leadership and ordinary people committed to peaceful struggle against injustice.”
Wider concerns
The bombing has sparked debate within Balochistan over the shrinking space for democratic politics. While the government maintains the attack was an act of terrorism carried out by IS, BNP, and other Baloch parties argue that a lack of accountability and protection for political gatherings has left leaders and activists exposed to such attacks.
As investigations continue, both BNP and civil society groups have called for independent inquiries into not only Monday’s bombing but also previous attacks on political rallies in Balochistan.