MEA rejects Pak allegation of India’s hand in Balochistan school bus blast

Rejecting Pakistan’s allegation that India was involved in the bombing of a school bus in the insurgency-affected Balochistan province, New Delhi on Wednesday (May 21) said such attempts by Islamabad to “hoodwink the world are doomed to fail".

Six people, including four children, were killed and 38 were injured on Wednesday after a suicide car bomber targeted a school bus in Khuzdar in Balochistan, reports said.

While no terrorist organisation has claimed responsibility for the attack, the Pakistani military accused India of having orchestrated it.

‘Pakistan’s second nature’

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal rubbished Pakistan’s allegation of Indian involvement in the blast, stating that although India condoles such deaths, it has become Pakistan’s “second nature” to blame India for its “internal” matters.

“However, in order to divert attention from its reputation as the global epicentre of terrorism and to hide its own gross failings, it has become second nature for Pakistan to blame India for all its internal issues,” said Jaiswal.

He also said that such attempts by Pakistan to “hoodwink the world are doomed to fail."

Also Read: Pakistan: Bomb blast near Balochistan market kills 4, injures 20

Balochistan issue

Balochistan, despite being the most resource-rich province of Pakistan, is the least populous one. It has been affected for long by insurgency, as most of the local militant groups have taken up arms demanding a say in the utilisation of resources of the province and greater autonomy in administration.

The bombing took place days after India and Pakistan reached a ceasefire understanding, putting an end to military hostilities between the two countries in the wake of India’s Operation Sindoor, during which it struck terror bases in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir and mainland Pakistan.

Also Read: Baloch rebels launch attacks on 51 locations during Pak-India military clashes

Pak retaliation

Pakistan tried to retaliate with heavy artillery shelling and waves of drone and missile attacks at Indian civilian and military installations.

The Indian military not only thwarted the attacks but also severely damaged several Pakistani air bases and military installations in retaliatory strikes. Operation Sindoor was launched following the killing of 26 civilians by terrorists in Pahagam in Jammu and Kashmir.