A person was killed while six others, including a cop, sustained injuries in multiple attacks across Balochistan on Thursday, police said.

The incidents came hours before the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) held a high-level meeting to discuss the deteriorating law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balo­chistan in the lead-up to the February 8 elections.

In Quetta, one person was killed in a blast on the CPEC road. SSP Operations Tariq Jawad told Dawn.com that around eight to 10 kilogrammes of explosives were used in the blast.

He said the explosives were planted on the footpath of CPEC road. An electricity pole was also damaged in the blast.

“There was no election programme within the vicinity of the blast,” SSP Tariq said, adding that security was on high alert for election gatherings and further investigations were underway to ascertain the identity of the deceased.

Separately, an additional superintendent, identified as Raza Muhammad, suffered minor injuries in a grenade attack on Quetta’s Shalkot police station. SSP Tariq said unknown persons lobbed a hand grenade at the office.

He added that ASI Muhammad was moved to Civil Hospital for treatment and was out of danger.

A similar incident also took place in Jaffarabad district. According to SSP Faryal Fareed, three persons were wounded when unidentified persons lobbed a hand grenade on a truck parked in Dera Allahyar town along the highway.

Meanwhile, one person was injured in a blast at a market in Turbat. While confirming the incident to Dawn.com, SSP Zia Mandokhail said the wounded person was immediately rushed to the hospital.

The SSP said law enforcement personnel had cordoned off the blast site and were collecting evidence.

Further, a grenade attack took place near the PML-N’s election office on Quetta’s Qambrani Road. However, no loss of life was reported.

SSP Tariq said the police had cordoned off the area. “The grenade blast took place near the PML-N’s election office. No lives were lost in the attack,” he added.

Later in the day, the official said a bomb exploded in a garbage heap in Quetta’s Sariab area but no one was injured.

Separately, unknown persons attacked the Central Jail Mastung with a hand grenade, resulting in an injury to a staff member on duty.

City Police Station House Officer (SHO) Abdul Fatah told Dawn.com that the injured staff member was moved to Nawab Ghous Bakhsh Memorial Hospital for treatment and the police were investigating the matter.

The Election Commission of Pakistan said it had taken notice of the attacks and sought detailed reports from the Balochistan police chief and chief secretary, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.

A day earlier, a leader of a political party was killed and eight other people, including political workers and two security officials, were injured in separate attacks at election offices and residences of the political party candidates in Balochistan.

Strategy chalked out for polls in Balochistan: minister

Meanwhile, caretaker Interior Minister Dr Gohar Ejaz said the Balochistan government had chalked out a comprehensive strategy for the successful conduct of the upcoming elections.

He vowed that hostile elements would not be allowed to take the law into their hands, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported. Ejaz also highlighted there was a dire need for devising a long-term integrated strategy for sustainable peace in Balochistan.

He said the caretaker government was determined to hold fair, free, and peaceful elections throughout the country on Feb 8.

“All resources will be provided to the provincial government for holding transparent and peaceful elections,” the APP quoted Gohar as saying during a meeting to review the overall law and order situation and election arrangements.

Furthermore, Ejaz expressed his satisfaction with the preparations made by the Balochistan government for holding peaceful and successful elections throughout the province. The minister was briefed about the situation in the province by Balochistan Additional Chief Secretary Zahid Saleem.

The interior minister further stated the caretaker government was committed to completing the election process by using all available resources and leaving no stone unturned in that regard.

Ejaz added that the federal government was striving hard to provide the provincial governments with the necessary equipment, latest gadgets, and other resources to ensure the safety of the lives of the voters and candidates.

The minister pointed out that he was reviewing the election preparations in all the provinces on special instructions of caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar.