News Desk, Asif Kareem Khetran:Â
A wave of fear has gripped parts of Balochistan after nine labourers working on development projects were kidnapped in two separate incidents in Khuzdar and Barkhan districts over the last 24 hours.
According to local officials, the first incident occurred on Saturday evening in the remote Moola area of Khuzdar, around 50 kilometres from the district headquarters. Unidentified armed men, riding motorcycles, stormed the camp of a private construction company engaged in a water channel project.
The attackers reportedly overpowered the workers at the site and forced six of them into a red double-cabin vehicle before driving away towards an unknown location. The abducted labourers include a project manager and five other workers. Police said two of the victims are residents of Sindh, while the remaining four belong to Khuzdar district.
Residents of the area said the sudden attack created panic among workers and nearby communities, many of whom rely on construction projects as their only source of income.
A few hours later, a second kidnapping incident was reported from Barkhan district, where armed men targeted a crushing plant operated by a private company working on a road construction project near the Dhola Nadi area.
Police sources said that early Sunday morning, a large group of armed individuals entered nearby areas, opened aerial fire, and abducted three labourers from the site before fleeing towards surrounding hills. The kidnapped workers are believed to be residents of Musa Khel district.
Local authorities further confirmed that the attackers also assaulted a nearby police check-post, where three policemen were disarmed and their weapons taken. No casualties were reported during the attacks, but the incidents have raised serious concerns over the safety of workers and security personnel.
Deputy Commissioner Barkhan confirmed the incidents and said search operations were underway to trace and safely recover the abducted labourers.
Balochistan has seen repeated attacks on labourers involved in construction and development projects in recent years. Earlier this month, five workers from Sindh were killed in a shooting incident at a construction site in Noshki. Last year, 18 labourers working on a road project in Khuzdar’s Naal area were kidnapped and later released after several months.
The latest incidents have once again highlighted growing security challenges for development work in remote areas of the province, where labourers continue to risk their lives to earn a living.
