Seven passengers offloaded, shot dead in Balochistan

BARKHAN: In a shocking turn of events, seven passengers were offloaded from a bus and killed by unknown armed men on the National Highway in Barkhan, Balochistan.

According to the details, 10 to 12 armed men stopped the bus, checked the passengers’ ID cards, offloaded seven people stated to be from Punjab and shot them dead at Rarkan.

The bus was traveling from Quetta to Faisalabad, when the armed men stopped the van, and opened fire in the air, AC Khadim Hussain revealed.

Deputy Commissioner Barkhan Waqar Khursheed and Assistant Commissioner Khadim Hussain Bhangar arrived quickly and with a large police force at the scene.

The victims’ remains have been taken to a close Rakni hospital, and the area has been cordoned off for a search operation to apprehend the perpetrators. The event has caused two-way traffic on the National Highway, which connects Balochistan and Punjab, to be stopped.

The ill-fated bus, which was traveling from Quetta to Faisalabad, had at least 45 passengers on board, according to the bus service office.

One of the passengers, Zeeshan Mustafa, a resident of Burewala who was traveling to Multan, shared a harrowing account of the incident.

He reported that the assailants took his brother away after checking his identity card. Zeeshan estimated that there were between 10 to 12 gunmen, all of whom were armed with Kalashnikovs.

In response to the incident, authorities have cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to apprehend the perpetrators.

The National Highway, which connects Punjab to Balochistan, has been closed to two-way vehicular traffic following the incident. The suspension of traffic is likely to cause disruptions to travelers and commuters who rely on this route.

The authorities are working to restore normalcy to the area and bring those responsible for the incident to justice.

Condolences

Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti has strongly condemned the attack, calling it an unbearable act of terror.

“Terrorists are targeting unarmed civilians. A strong response will be given,” he said, adding that those responsible would be punished.

He described it as a “heinous and reprehensible act.”

“Terrorists are targeting innocent and unarmed civilians,” CM Bugti said in response to the attack.

“This cowardly assault by the enemies of peace is intolerable, and they will face a strong response.”

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have both strongly criticized the incident, extended their sympathies to the affected families, and promised to bring the wrongdoers to justice.

Prime Minister Shehbaz told officials to act fast and promised those accountable would have to face strong repercussions, whereas President Zardari called the murder of innocent people a “cowardly and heinous act “.