Iran border shooting: Confusion arises over victims’ nationalities

Officials say the labourers were not from Gwadar.

QUETTA:


The six people, gunned down by Iranian guards on Thursday, were allegedly labourers who belonged to bordering villages of either side of the border between Iran and Pakistan.


According to Deputy Commissioner Gwadar Abdul Rehman Dashti, it is yet to be ascertained whether the victims were Pakistani or Iranian nationals.

“The victims are not from Gwadar, since no family approached the local administration. Earlier, people approached us for the bodies of Pakistani fishermen and Iran also informed local administration,” he told The Express Tribune, adding: “But this time no one has come forward.”

He said that according to information through the locals, the victims are Pakistanis but Iranian officials have not informed them of any such incident.


According to local sources, the victims belonged to small villages of either side of the border. “Four of the victims were Iranian nationals, while two others were residents of Kastag, a village located in Pakistan, close to Iranian border,” sources said.

The bodies are kept in cold storage for legal formalities and are yet to be handed over to their relatives for burial.

The victims, said to be cattle dealers or labourers, were heading towards Chah Bahar when they were intercepted the Iranian guards and shot dead. According to reports from across the border, the security forces threw the victims’ bodies in the open.

Local police came and took away the bodies to a government hospital in Chah Bahar, reports said.

Iran had beefed up security along the Pakistan border after armed group Jundullah recently carried out a deadly attack on Iranian forces, killing at least four Iranian guards and injuring ten others.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28th, 2012. 
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