• Karachi-based Sabri qawwals were supposed to perform at a wedding in Quetta
• Major leading Awaran operation martyred
QUETTA: Just days after the deadly bus attack in the Zhob area of Balochistan, another passenger bus came under attack that claimed three innocent lives, including two Karachi-based Sabri qawwals, and left 13 others injured on the outskirts of Kalat on Wednesday.
SSP Shahzad told Dawn that three people who lost their lives in bus firing Kalat included famous qawal Ahmed Hussain Sabri, his son Ahmed Raza Sabri, who left for Quetta along with other musicians of the group in a bus.
“My brother, nephew and one musician killed in the armed attack,” famous Karachi-based Qawal Majid Ali Sabri said on the phone. He said his brother, nephew and other musicians were travelling to Quetta for performance at a wedding ceremony.
“My close relatives and musicians are among the injured,” added Majid Sabri who along with his wife is due in the provincial capital on Thursday (today).
Officials said the armed assailants were lying in ambush on both sides of the Quetta-Karachi highway in Nemargh area and used automatic weapons to carry out the assault. “They first stopped the coach and then opened indiscriminate fire,” an official said while quoting eyewitness accounts.
The attack came on the day when a security forces killed three terrorists affiliated with India-backed proxy group “Fitna al Hindustan” in Awaran, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). It said an army officer, Major Syed Rub Nawaz Tariq, embraced martyrdom while leading the operation.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kalat Shahzad Akbar confirmed the bus shooting and said three individuals were killed on the spot, while 13 others sustained injuries. The victims were musicians from a Karachi-based band who were en route to Quetta for a performance, police said.
The injured were identified as Haider, Imran, Manzar, Abbas, Muhammad Saqib, Faysal, Muhammad Nadeem, Muhammad Rizwan, Musawir Abbas, Muhammad Waris, Faizan, Dilshad (all from Karachi), Najeeb Ahmed (driver), and Bilal Ahmed.
Hospital officials said the victims had sustained multiple gunshot wounds, mostly to the head and upper part of their body. Some of the critically injured are being shifted to Quetta for advanced medical treatment, they said.
According to Imtiaz Lehri, who had booked the team, Majid Sabri was due in Quetta on Thursday along with his wife by air, and a hotel room was booked for them.
Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind confirmed the incident, casualties and location of the assault. He said, “Security forces, district administration, and rescue teams immediately reached the site. A search operation is underway, and the attackers are being pursued.”
He said the terrorists had planned the attack and launched it from both sides of the road. “We cannot yet confirm the number of assailants.”
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti wrote on X, “Targeting innocent and defenseless civilians is an unforgivable crime.” He also blamed India-backed terrorist organisations, stating, “These groups once targeted people based on identity, but are now indiscriminately attacking civilians. This is a war against every Pakistani.” He termed the attack a direct assault on Pakistan’s unity, sovereignty, and peace and pledged that the government would eradicate such threats at all costs.
Army officer martyred
On the other hand, the Inter-Services Public relations said on Wednesday night security forces killed three terrorists affiliated with India-backed proxy group “Fitna al Hindustan” while an officer of Pakistan Army embraced martyrdom while leading the operation conducted in Awaran area.
The ISPR reported that the operation was launched based on intelligence inputs about terrorist presence in the area.
“During the operation, troops effectively engaged the terrorist location, killing three Indian-sponsored terrorists,” it added.
Tragically, Major Syed Rub Nawaz Tariq, 34, a brave officer from Muzaffarabad, embraced martyrdom while leading his troops in the operation. “Major Tariq led from the front and paid the ultimate sacrifice in the service of the nation,” the statement read.
It said a sanitisation operation was underway in the area to eliminate any remaining threats.
The ISPR added, “Security forces of Pakistan are fully committed to eradicating Indian-sponsored terrorism, and the sacrifices of our brave soldiers only strengthen our resolve.”
Abdul Wahid Shahwani also contributed to this report
Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2025
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