Two TV cameraman were killed while a TV reporter was injured in a suicide blast inside a government hospital in Quetta on Monday (August 8, 2016) leaving around 90 people killed and over 100 inured, provincial health minister and journalists said.
Aaj TV channel cameraman Shehzad Ahmed, in his 30s and father of three children, died at the spot wile Mehmood Khan, cameraman for DawnNews, succumbed to his wounds during a surgery at Civil-Military Hospital, Quetta Press Club Safety Hub manager Ayub Tareen told  Freedom Network [FN], Pakistan’s first media watchdog organization.
He said Faridullah, reporter of Dunya News channel, received multiple injuries and is being treated for his wounds at the CMH.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families of those killed in the blast and journalist community which is taking harder hits since the province plunged into violence for many reasons,” FN said in its statement to mourn the death of cameraman Shehzad.
“We pray for early recovery of Faridullah and wish him good health,” the statement added.
Mehmood’s whereabouts were unknown until he was later in the day found at a military hospital’s bed where he was being operated upon. “He just died of wounds and his body is being taken to ancestral village for burial,” Ayub said.
The morning blast left around 93 people killed, according to provincial health minister Rehmat Baloch, who said 110 were injured in one of the deadliest attacks Quetta city experienced ever.
The blast happened when a wounded senior lawyer was brought to the Civil Hospital for treatment after he was attacked in the city. As the news of the attack on the lawyer reached the local courts other lawyers rushed to the Civil Hospital.
Journalists also rushed to the hospital for coverage of the attack on the senior lawyer Bilal Anwar Kasi.
As journalists and lawyers gathered at the hospital a suicide bomber struck to kill as many as possible.
“It was a suicide attack,” Balochistan Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri told Geo News channel.
“We lost not only a journalist, but also a good human being,” several journalists paid tributes to late Shehzad.
Balochistan is one of dangerous places in Pakistan where journalists have become direct and indirect victims of insurgency, militancy, sectarian violence and state institutions such as intelligence agencies.
Caption: Late Mehmood Khan
Image courtesy: Dawn online edition