Five labourers from Punjab shot dead in Balochistan's Washuk

At least five labourers from Punjab were shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Balochistan’s Washuk district on Sunday, Aaj News quoted police officials as saying.

The police sources said the attackers opened fire on shops in the Mashkail area where labourers were working, killing all five victims on the spot before fleeing the scene.

Security forces cordoned off the area and launched an investigation into the incident. After completing legal formalities, the bodies of the victims were dispatched to their native areas in Punjab.

Meanwhile, Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind condemned the attack, describing the killing of innocent civilians as “highly reprehensible and tragic.”

He said the provincial government had taken immediate notice of the incident and ordered a transparent and impartial investigation. Law enforcement agencies have been directed to arrest the perpetrators at the earliest and bring them to justice, he added.

Rind said the government stood with the bereaved families and would provide them with all possible assistance. He reiterated that no conspiracy aimed at destabilising peace and order in Balochistan would be allowed to succeed and vowed continued action against elements involved in spreading terror and fear in the province.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday condemned the killing of five labourers in a terrorist attack in Balochistan.

Targeting innocent civilians and hardworking labourers is an act of blatant barbarity, the president said.

“Such cowardly attacks cannot shake the nation’s resolve,” President Zardari said. The terrorists of Fitna al-Hindustan and their facilitators will be brought to justice, he added.

The state will continue to take all possible measures to protect the lives and property of its citizens, Zardari said.

He prayed for the elevation of the ranks of the martyrs and for patience and strength for the bereaved families.

Expressing grief and condolences to the bereaved families, the prime minister described the targeting of innocent and unarmed workers as a “brutal and cowardly act.”

“The elements involved in such crimes against humanity deserve no leniency,” he said.

The prime minister said terrorists were targeting innocent civilians to pursue their “nefarious designs,” but stressed that such cowardly attacks could not weaken the nation’s resolve against terrorism.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment, alongside security forces, to eradicate terrorism from the country and ensure the protection of every citizen’s life and property.