QUETTA-Unknown armed persons critically injured Balochistan's Provincial Secretary Mines and senior Bureaucrat Jan Muhammad Dashti at Double Road near Sariab Bridge here on Monday morning. According to police sources, Jan Mohammad Dashti was on his way to office when gunmen riding on a motorbike intercepted his vehicle and sprayed volley of bullets on his vehicle with an automatic weapon. As a result, he and his driver Muhammad Ali received multiple bullet wounds. They were rushed to Civil Hospital Quetta, where after providing them first aid, Jan Muhammad Dashti was shifted to Karachi for further treatment in a special plane. Civil Hospital Quetta sources said that Jan Muhammad Dashti had received bullet wounds on his head. Law enforcement agencies rushed to the crime scene and cordoned off the area and started investigations. However, motive behind the attack could not be ascertained. A senior police official seeking anonymity said that it could be an incident of target killing as according to preliminary reports the assailants were chasing the vehicle of the govt official. Jan Muhammad Dashti is a poet, author of five books written in English and Balochi languages and is owner of an Urdu daily 'Aasap'. He enjoys a good reputation for promotion of education and his literary works. Soon after the incident Chief Minister Balochistan, members of Provincial Assembly, political leaders and members of civil society rushed to the hospital and strongly condemned the incident. The outraged activists of Balochistan National Party (BNP-Mengal) closed Jinnah Road and pelted vehicles due to which glasses of several vehicles were broken which caused massive traffic jam and inconvenience to the commuters. Secretary General (BNP-M) Habib Jalib Baloch Advocate flanked by other members of party addressing a hurriedly called Press conference strongly condemned the attack on Jam Muhammad Dashti. He alleged that govt had started another drive in Balochistan through target killings, kidnapping and arresting political workers. He said that political leaders and other people were being targeted and so far several leaders of BNP and other parties had been killed but govt had failed to hunt down the culprits involved behind these heinous acts. BNP leader said that Jan Muhammad Dashti was well reputed figure of Balochistan and was raising voice against alleged atrocities of State departments being perpetrated against Baloch people through his newspaper and literary works. He said that involvement of secret agencies could not be ruled out as they were considering him a big threat in their way. He announced protest on Tuesday(today) against attack on Jan Muhammad Dashti. BNP workers also blocked National Highway between Quetta and Karachi at different places till 6pm. Shutter-down strike was also observed in Wadh, Turbat and other towns also against the attack. Meanwhile,defunct Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has claimed responsibility for the attack on Balochistan's Secretary of Mines and Minerals Department Jan Muhammad Dashti who sustained serious bullets wounds alongwith his driver here on Monday. Haider Jhangvi claming to be spokesman of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi calling from unknown location claimed the responsibility of the attack on Jan Muhammad Dashti saying he was targeted because he had used 'offensive words' against Prophets of Islam in his book. He further said that if ban was not imposed on his book, Lashkar-Jhangvi would also attack his office.