A Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) first-class umpire was reportedly robbed of his vehicle by armed men while travelling from Quetta to Karachi to attend a PCB refresher course.
According to reports, the incident occurred near Lakorian, between Khuzdar and Sohrab in Balochistan, where a group of armed men intercepted the vehicle carrying first-class umpire Aslam Baloch and several fellow PCB officials.
Aslam Baloch was travelling with fellow PCB umpires Khalid Mahmood, Hameed Khan, Muhammad Rahim and Hidayatullah. The group had departed Quetta four days earlier to participate in the PCB refresher course scheduled in Karachi.
After stopping for breakfast in Sohrab, the officials resumed their journey when two armed men allegedly blocked the road by standing in front of their vehicle.
The suspects reportedly forced the occupants to hand over their identity cards and vehicle documents at gunpoint.
After stepping out of the vehicle, the umpires discovered that more than a dozen armed individuals were positioned nearby, according to reports.
The armed men allegedly drove away with Aslam Baloch’s vehicle but returned the personal belongings of the travelling officials.
Reports further stated that the attackers later contacted the vehicle owner by phone and initially demanded a ransom of Rs2 million in exchange for the vehicle’s return. The demand was later reduced to Rs800,000.
Following the incident, an FIR was registered at Sohrab Police Station. The affected umpires also informed the Pakistan Cricket Board about the incident.
The PCB subsequently advised the officials to leave the area immediately to ensure their safety while the matter remains under investigation.
