Cop killed in attack at ECP Turbat office

Five labourers hailing from South Punjab kidnapped in Kech

QUETTA:

In a tragic turn of events in the Turbat district of Balochistan, a police constable named Nimroz met an untimely demise in an attack at the office of the election commissioner. The assailants, armed and brazen, targeted the election commissioner’s office, resulting in Nimroz sustaining critical injuries. Despite being transported to a nearby hospital, his injuries proved fatal, adding a somber note to a day marred by violence across the province.

The attackers, displaying a level of audacity, managed to escape after committing the crime without facing any immediate challenge.

In response, the police swiftly cordoned off the entire locality and launched a door-to-door search operation in an attempt to bring the perpetrators to justice.

An FIR has been lodged against unidentified terrorists, and the police have initiated an investigation into the attack, aiming to unravel the motives and apprehend those responsible.

Simultaneously, in another distressing incident in the district of Kech, armed men forcefully kidnapped five laborers.

These laborers, hailing from Southern Punjab, were engaged in the construction of a mobile tower in the Dhandar area of Hoshab Tehsil in Kech.

The motive behind this kidnapping remains unclear, intensifying concerns about the safety and security of individuals involved in such projects. The abducted individuals—Nazir Ahmed, Farooq, Muhammad Tariq, Safdar, and Hasnain—are all natives of Southern Punjab.

Balochistan’s Caretaker Chief Minister, Ali Mardan Domki, took immediate notice of the incident and directed the police to spare no effort in ensuring the safe recovery of the kidnapped men.

Read Attack on election commissioner's office claims cop's life in Turbat

The station house officer (SHO) of Hoshab, accompanied by his team, has been dispatched to the site to gather evidence and conduct a thorough investigation.

A spokesperson for the Balochistan police emphasized, “We are working diligently to locate the missing individuals and ensure their safe return. We are treating this incident with the utmost seriousness and are exploring all possible angles.

In another incident in Dera Bugti, at least two men were injured in a bomb explosion in the Sui tehsil.

Levies sources reported that the injured individuals were brothers of a tribal elder and were rushed to the Sui hospital for medical treatment.

Levies force and police arrived at the scene to conduct an investigation into the incident, aiming to determine the motives behind the explosion and identify those responsible.

These distressing incidents come just two days after Chief Minister Domki’s visit to Turbat, where he personally oversaw the planning for the upcoming electoral process in the province. Chairing a high-level meeting about the elections, Domki reaffirmed the commitment to providing security to both voters and candidates.

The visit came on the heels of an armed attack targeting candidates of the National Party, a Baloch nationalist party, in the district Kech.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 26^th, 2024.