14 students die as female bomber attacks university bus in Pakistan

A female bomber attacked a bus of a women university in the southwestern city of Quetta two days ago, killing 14 students, Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told the parliament on Monday.

The banned Sunni extremist group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi had claimed responsibility for the attack, which also injured nearly 20 female students, said the minister.

The group's spokesman, Abubakar, had also claimed responsibility for another attack on a main hospital where the injured students were admitted for treatment.

A total of 24 people including the 14 girl students were killed in the bomb blasts targeting the university bus and Bolan Medical Complex, the minister told the National Assembly.

Chaudhry Nisar visited Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, on Sunday and presided over a high-level meeting on security situation following the deadly attacks.

Presenting an interim report on his visit in the National Assembly, the minister informed the House that despite dozens of check posts in Quetta, the security agencies could not succeed to check the movement of the armed men, who can strike wherever they want.

"There are many check posts of police, paramilitary forces and security agencies. The intelligence agents are deployed at every important area in Quetta. But even then the terrorists carry out attacks wherever they want," he said.

Chaudhry Nisar said that a meeting will be convened of civil armed forces on June 20 in Islamabad to discuss the overall security situation in the country. He added the government will announce a security policy on the very next day.

In another development, an anti-government insurgent group attacked the residency of the founder of Pakistan in the town of Ziarat in Balochistan on Saturday. The wooden structure of the residency was burnt down in the attack. The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army has claimed responsibility.

The minister told the Parliament that a joint investigation team has been constituted to probe the attack on the residency. He said the team comprising personnel of different intelligence agencies will be headed by deputy inspector general of police.

Results of the investigation will be made public and presented before the House to ensure that nothing will be hidden from the people.

He assured the House that the residency of father of the nation, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, will be renovated in its original shape within three to four months.

The minister noted that he will also visit other provinces to talk with chief ministers and governors, and the Federal Government will ensure full support to provinces in terms of intelligence sharing, police force, paramilitary rangers and frontier corps.