People gathering their losses after the blast
A bomb on Wednesday exploded outside the campaign office of a political candidate in south-western , killing at least 12 people ahead of Thursday voting.
Local official, Jamal Uddin told reporters that the bombing in the town of Pishin in the volatile province of Balochistan targeted the candidate a day ahead of the national elections in Pakistan.
According to the official, more than 30 people were wounded and are being treated at a local hospital, stressing that authorities are yet to ascertain if the incident was a suicide bombing or a planted device went off, Uddin added.
Uddin said it was not yet certain if the candidate for the local constituency, Asfandyar Kakar, was at the office at the time of the bombing.
Violence by Islamist militants has surged in Pakistan in recent months ahead of the vote scheduled for Thursday.
The north-western provinces of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, which both share a border with Afghanistan, have seen a rise in violence since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.Â
