No group ever claimed responsibility for the attack, although three men from the banned sectarian Lashkar-e-Jhangvi group were convicted.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s least populous province, is also home to several militant groups fighting for independence or a greater share of the region’s mineral resources.
Pakistan’s Taliban, which has stepped up attacks on military and government targets since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, said it had no connection with Friday’s Balochistan attack.
“Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claims no connection with this attack and our stance on bombings in public places is clear,” the group said in a statement.