QUETTA – Balochistan witnessed another gruesome act of violence as five labourers from Punjab were shot dead after unidentified gunmen stormed shops in Mashkail area of Balochistan’s Washuk district, near the Pak-Iran border.
The bike-borne attackers opened indiscriminate fire on shops where the victims were working before fleeing the scene. The labourers, who were employed as barbers, had no opportunity to escape the assault. The deceased have been identified as Muhammad Hassan, Abdul Qadir, Mohsin and Bilal from Sialkot, while officials said all five victims belonged to different parts of Punjab.
The dead bodies are being shifted to their hometowns after the completion of legal formalities.
Soon after the attack, security forces cordoned off the area and launched a large-scale search operation to trace those responsible. Police have also initiated an investigation to determine the motive behind the killings and identify the perpetrators.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the massacre, describing it as a barbaric act of terrorism. Expressing deep grief over the loss of innocent lives, he extended condolences to the bereaved families and termed the targeting of unarmed labourers an extremely cruel and cowardly crime.
The government called out Fitna al-Hindustan for the coward attack and said those responsible for crimes against innocent civilians deserved no leniency, adding that such attacks were aimed at spreading fear and advancing a destructive agenda. He reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to eliminating terrorism and ensuring the safety of every citizen.
Balochistan CM Mir Sarfraz Bugti also condemned killings, saying the victims were not merely Punjabi labourers but Pakistani citizens whose sacrifice represented a loss for the entire nation. He said the attack was an assault on Pakistan’s unity, Constitution and the writ of the state rather than on a particular province or ethnic community.
He said those behind the attack sought to spread terrorism, hatred and instability by targeting innocent civilians. He vowed that the perpetrators, along with anyone facilitating them, would be brought to justice and said operations against anti-state elements would be intensified until the state’s authority was fully restored.
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