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Pakistan Mourns After Bombing at Hospital Kills At Least 74, Including Dozens of Lawyers
Lawyers in Pakistan have begun a nationwide strike after dozens of attorneys were slain in a suicide bombing outside a hospital in the city of Quetta in Balochistan, the country’s poorest province. Authorities said at least 70 people died in the attack, including as many as 60 attorneys; 120 were injured. The suicide bombing targeted lawyers who had assembled outside the hospital to mourn the assassination of Bilal Kasi, the president of the Balochistan Bar Association, who was killed earlier on Monday as he headed to court. Kasi had strongly condemned recent attacks in the province and had announced a two-day boycott of court sessions in protest of the killing of a colleague last week. A faction of the Pakistan Taliban, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, claimed responsibility for Monday’s attack and for the murder of Bilal Kasi. ISIS also claimed responsibility. - Democracy Now, 9 August 2016
TRANSCRIPT
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: Lawyers in Pakistan have begun a nationwide strike after dozens of attorneys were slain in a suicide bombing outside a hospital in the city of Quetta in Balochistan, the country’s poorest province. Authorities said at least 70 people died in the attack, including as many as 60 attorneys; 120 were injured. A hospital staff member described the moment of the suicide bombing.
HOSPITAL STAFF MEMBER: [translated] I was coming for my shift at the office. As soon as I reached the gate, there was a blast, and people came running out. I left my bag there, and as I entered, I saw dead bodies scattered all over the place. There was blood all over and injured people covered in blood. See the video here.