Muhammad Iqbal

Incident Description: Suicide attack

On January 10, 2013, a photographer for NNI news agency, Mohammad Iqbal was killed among scores others in a suicide bombing in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed responsibility for the blasts which had targeted the local Hazara Shia community. Two other journalists — a cameraman for Samaa TV, Imran Shaikh, and a reporter for Samaa TV, Saif ur Rehman — were also killed in the second blast that took place as the journalists went to report on the first explosion that had occurred a few minutes earlier.

A reporter for Independent News Pakistan news agency, Iqbal’s brother Muhammad Hasan, a cameraman for Geo TV, Acne Roger, and a satellite engineer for Samaa TV, Ather, were injured in the blast. Over 100 people were killed and more than 200 were injured in the blasts. A Samaa TV reporter told PPF that a suicide bomber went to the basement of a building housing a snooker club in the area inhabited by the Hazara Shia community, and detonated himself at about 9pm.

Few minutes later, his car, which was parked outside the building, exploded remotely. Police said more than 100 kg of explosives were used in the car bomb.

The Government of Pakistan announced Rs1 million for each victim's bereaved family.