17 sugar mill workers missing after abduction in DI Khan

At least 17 sugar mill workers remained missing on Wednesday after armed men abducted passengers and workers from two vehicles near Cheera Minor on the Indus Highway in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Five passengers taken from a coach were later released.

The incident took place on Tuesday night within the limits of Paroa Police Station. According to reports, armed men intercepted a passenger coach travelling from Dera Ghazi Khan to Rawalpindi and took several people away. Reports also indicated that security guards travelling in a bus carrying sugar mill workers were abducted.

Five passengers identified as Arsalan, Majid, Kashif, Shiraz and Hammad were subsequently released. They had been travelling on the Hassan Coach. According to the released passengers, they walked for around four hours before reaching their destination.

However, the whereabouts of 17 sugar mill workers remained unknown, prompting concern among local residents and the families of those missing.

Residents staged a protest at Paroa Adda and blocked the main Indus Highway, demanding the safe recovery of the abducted workers. The road blockade disrupted traffic as protesters called for urgent action to locate the missing people.

Police said efforts were underway to recover the abducted individuals. Several teams had been formed to take part in the operation and trace those responsible for the incident.

The abduction has spread fear across the area, while the families of the missing workers remain anxious about the safety of their loved ones. Authorities have yet to provide further details about the identities of the abductors or the circumstances surrounding the workers’ disappearance.