Pakistan: 5 people kidnapped in Kech district of Balochistan

Balochistan [Pakistan]: At least five people from Pakistan's Punjab province were abducted in the Kech district of Balochistan, reported The Balochistan Post.

Unidentified gunmen kidnapped five individuals from Punjab province in Dandar village, on the outskirts of Hoshap sub-tehsil of Kech on Wednesday.

The detainees have been identified as Nazir Ahmed, Muhammad Tariq, Safdar Ali, Farooq, and Hasnain. Reportedly, the detainees were working there to install a new tower for the "state-run" telecom company Ufone, the Balochistan Post reported.

According to the local administration, Assistant Commissioner Turbat has sent a team of Levies forces to the area on the instructions of Deputy Commissioner Kech.

However, no further reports have been received about the abductees yet. Meanwhile, two people were allegedly detained by the Pakistani forces in the Jhal Magsi area of Balochistan and subsequently moved to an undisclosed location.

The missing persons were identified as Akbar Khan and Jamil Ahmed, The Balochistan Post reported.

According to reports, Akbar was earlier detained by Pakistani forces along with his brother Yusuf. His brother Yusuf was killed by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in an alleged fake encounter in Dera Murad Jamali.

At the same time, Akbar himself was released but has now again been forcibly disappeared. According to the local forces, Akbar was released by the Pakistani forces in a handicapped condition; his legs were paralysed when he recovered and now he has been detained again in a disabled condition.

Moreover, his family members expressed concern over the abduction and urged human rights organisations for the safe recovery of Akbar. Notably, the protests against enforced disappearances have been going on for at least decades in Balochistan.

Furthermore, the Baloch Yakjetti Committee has been staging a sit-in in Islamabad for the last two months, which ended today and left for Quetta.

(ANI)