PISHIN: Five fruit traders who had travelled to Balochistan to purchase grapes were abducted and brutally killed in Pishin district, police said. The victims had reportedly gone to the province in loader vehicles to buy grapes.
According to police, the incident took place in the Saranan area of Pishin, where the five men were allegedly abducted by suspected terrorists around four days ago. They were later killed.
Police said the identities of all five victims have been established. Three of the deceased were residents of Arifwala, Punjab, and were identified as Muhammad Ashraf, Zaman and Ali Ahmed.
Following the incident, security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to trace the perpetrators. Authorities said efforts were underway to locate those responsible for the killings.
The Balochistan government strongly condemned the incident and said those responsible for killing innocent people would not be spared.
The Balochistan chief minister, provincial interior minister and governor, along with other provincial officials, expressed their condemnation of the killings and vowed strict action against the perpetrators.
Provincial authorities said the incident once again exposed what they described as the anti-worker stance of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).
The Pishin killings come amid a series of violent incidents reported in different parts of Balochistan.
Earlier, seven workers were abducted and killed in Turbat, while incidents including the killing of a mother and daughter in Nushki and attacks on passenger buses in Mastung have also raised concerns over the deteriorating security situation in the province.
Authorities have reiterated their resolve to take strict measures to eliminate terrorism and ensure the safety and security of citizens across Balochistan.
