ISLAMABAD, Wednesday, May 21, 2025 (WNP): In a devastating terrorist attack in Balochistan’s Khuzdar district, five people — including three schoolchildren — were martyred when a school bus was targeted in a bomb blast on Wednesday. The incident has drawn nationwide condemnation from Pakistan’s top civilian and military leadership, who blamed Indian-sponsored proxies for orchestrating the attack.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif issued strongly worded statements, describing the attack as a “cowardly and barbaric” act aimed at undermining peace and development in Balochistan.

“This heinous targeting of school-going children is not only inhumane but also a grave crime against humanity,” President Zardari said in a statement issued by the Presidency. He extended condolences to the grieving families and vowed that Pakistan would expose India’s involvement in sponsoring terrorism at international forums.

“Those who strike at education and the innocent are enemies of humanity. Their goal is to derail the progress of Balochistan — but they will not succeed,” the President stated, reaffirming the state’s commitment to eliminate all Indian-backed terrorist networks.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the attack a calculated assault on the country’s future. “This was not just an attack on a school bus; it was an attack on Pakistan’s values, our children, and our collective resolve,” he said. He expressed deep sorrow over the deaths and directed immediate medical treatment for the injured, most of whom were children.

“No stone will be left unturned to track down the perpetrators. These Indian-backed terrorists will face the full force of justice,” the prime minister declared.

PM arrives in Quetta to review security

In the aftermath of the attack, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Quetta to assess the law and order situation. He was accompanied by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar. The delegation was received at Quetta Airport by Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti and members of the provincial cabinet.

During his visit, the prime minister is scheduled to preside over high-level security meetings and receive detailed briefings on the incident. A special security review focused on Balochistan’s threat landscape is expected.

The PM also visited the injured victims, along with Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Defence Minister Asif, Interior Minister Naqvi, and Information Minister Tarar. Expressing their deep grief, the officials condemned the targeting of schoolchildren as a vile act by Indian proxies operating under the name Fitna Al-Hindustan.

Briefed by the Commander Quetta Corps and CM Sarfraz Bugti, the civil-military leadership was informed that the attack claimed five lives — including three children and two security personnel — and injured 53 others, with eight children critically wounded.

Field Marshal Munir and the prime minister jointly declared that Pakistan must now match its earlier resolve shown against Indian aggression with an equally strong stance against foreign-sponsored terrorism. “The nation must unite and respond decisively,” they said.

“India’s proxies are waging a cowardly war”

A press release from the PM Office described the bombing as part of a wider strategy by Indian intelligence services to destabilize Pakistan by targeting soft civilian targets in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“Following military failures in direct confrontations, India has resorted to using its terrorist proxies to inflict maximum civilian casualties. The world must wake up to this reality — India is not a victim but a sponsor of terrorism in South Asia,” the statement read.

“These proxies — cloaked in ethnic and regional garb — are betraying the values of the Baloch and Pashtun people who reject violence and extremism,” it added. The statement called on the international community to urgently condemn the use of terrorism as a foreign policy tool.

National leadership reacts

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also expressed grief over the loss of young lives in the attack. “Deeply saddened by the dastardly terrorist attack by Indian proxies on a school bus in Khuzdar. The perpetrators will be brought to justice,” he said in a post on social platform X (formerly Twitter).

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, terming the attack a “heinous conspiracy,” said, “The beasts who targeted innocent children deserve no mercy. The nation stands united with the families of the victims and against those who seek to destabilize our country.”

He reiterated that national unity and resilience would foil all such conspiracies.

Pursuit of justice promised

The leadership emphasized that all individuals involved — from planners to facilitators — would be tracked down and punished. Pakistan’s armed forces and law enforcement agencies, with the support of the public, remain resolute in eradicating terrorism in all its forms and ensuring that those who threaten the country’s peace and stability are held accountable.

“The time has come to confront and dismantle the architecture of Indian-sponsored terrorism with absolute resolve,” the statement concluded.