The bombings came despite the deployment of tens of thousands of police and paramilitary forces across Pakistan to ensure peace in the wake of a recent surge in armed attacks in the country, especially in Balochistan.
The location of one of the bombings before Pakistanis went to the polls.credit: AP
The outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army was behind multiple attacks on security forces in Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran. On January 30, a separatist group affiliated with the Balochistan Liberation Army attacked security facilities in the Mach district of Balochistan, killing six people.
In recent years, Pakistan has struggled to rein in rising militancy, especially in the former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban. Militants are present in Balochistan, and have targeted civilians in recent years.
The gas-rich province of Balochistan, located on the border between Afghanistan and Iran, has been the scene of a low-level insurgency by Baloch nationalists for more than two decades. Baloch nationalists initially wanted a share of the province's resources, but later began a rebellion for independence.
