Six pilgrims abducted from Panjgur

They were coming back from Iran after performing pilgrimage at holy shrines

QUETTA:

Six pilgrims travelling back from Iran were kidnapped by unknown persons in Balochistan on Sunday. The incident took place near the Pak-Iran border in Panjgur district.

According to the initial investigation, the abducted people were coming back from Iran after performing pilgrimage at the holy shrines. It is pertinent to note that all abducted persons belong to Karachi.

Sources familiar with the incident said that the armed kidnappers got hold of the pilgrims when they were a few kilometres away from Panjgur city.

The abducted persons included Habibulla, Hussain, Sikandar, Mehdi Raza and Imran. The pilgrims also included two women but they were left behind in the vehicle by the abductors before they fled to an unknown location with the other male hostages.

Police said that pilgrims had spent 50 days in Mashad, Iran and were on their way to Karachi when the kidnapping took place.

It is pertinent to mention that every year, a large number of Shia pilgrims from various parts of the country enter into Iran through the Pak-Iran border.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, October 12^th, 2020.