Five punjab workers killed in Balochistan’s Pishin, One rescued injured

Five workers from Punjab have been killed and another was found injured after unknown armed men allegedly abducted them and later opened fire near Saranan in Balochistan’s Pishin district.

QUETTA: Five workers from Punjab have been killed and another was found injured after unknown armed men allegedly abducted them and later opened fire near Saranan in Balochistan’s Pishin district.

According to government officials, all six victims were labourers working in an orchard in Qila Abdullah district. Police said the workers were allegedly abducted from the area before being attacked by unidentified gunmen.

A police official in Quetta, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the labourers were reportedly abducted a day before the attack. The armed men allegedly took them away before shooting them. Five workers died at the scene, while another survived with injuries.

Police said the bodies and the injured worker were found in the Sulemanzai area near Saranan in Pishin. They were initially taken to a local hospital for medical and legal procedures. The injured survivor and the bodies were later shifted to Quetta.

Authorities confirmed that all the victims belonged to Punjab. The identities of the deceased workers have not been publicly detailed in the initial reports.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the killings. Police and other authorities are investigating the incident and attempting to determine the identity and motive of the attackers.

Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti and Provincial Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langau condemned the attack. They said innocent Pakistani citizens had once again been targeted by elements seeking to disrupt peace and vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice.

Balochistan Home Department media adviser Babar Yousafzai said militants were targeting workers and travellers because they considered them “soft targets.”

The incident comes amid heightened security concerns in parts of Balochistan. Last Friday, an explosives attack targeted the Pishin police station in Saranan Bazaar damaging the building. The banned Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for that attack.

The latest killings have renewed concerns over the security of workers and other civilians travelling or working in vulnerable areas of the province. Authorities are expected to continue investigations into the alleged abduction and killings and determine whether the incident was connected to any organized militant activity.