In a tragic development, the bodies of six labourers, originally from Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), were discovered in a remote area of Nasirabad, Balochistan. These individuals had been abducted by armed assailants two days prior, police confirmed on Thursday.
Among the victims, four hailed from Punjab while two were residents of KP. The labourers were reportedly kidnapped from the Kalatak region on July 28. Their remains were transported to Quetta and are scheduled to be sent to their hometowns for burial arrangements.
Security officials revealed that militants associated with the group Fitna al-Hindustan, operating in the Kech district, were responsible for the killings. Notably, the attackers had previously murdered another labourer named Javed on July 27 before abducting the six others. All the victims were engaged in development projects across Balochistan.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the brutal murders, expressing deep sorrow for the families affected. He described the assailants’ actions as an act of extreme cruelty targeting innocent workers. Naqvi emphasized that these killings not only took innocent lives but also dealt a severe blow to Balochistan’s development efforts and the livelihoods of its people.
The minister further stated that those accountable for the merciless murders of the non-local labourers deserved no leniency. He assured that the government stands firmly with the victims’ families, sharing their grief during this difficult period.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has experienced a rise in terrorist activities, particularly in KP and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban assumed power in 2021. A recent report by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) highlighted that these two provinces remained the epicenters of violence in the second quarter of 2026, with KP being the most severely affected.
The report detailed that KP and Balochistan accounted for nearly 96% of all fatalities related to violence during this period. KP alone recorded over 61% (475) of the deaths, while Balochistan accounted for 34% (265). Additionally, KP reported the highest number of violent incidents at 151 cases, representing 57% of the total nationwide, followed by Balochistan with 94 incidents or 35%, underscoring the concentration of militant activity in these regions.
