Assistant Commissioner Hanif Noorzai kidnapped in Balochistan

QUETTA: Assistant Commissioner Tump, Muhammad Hanif Noorzai, was kidnapped by unidentified armed assailants in the early hours of Wednesday in Balochistan’s Kech district, ARY News reported.

The incident occurred in Tagranabad area when Assistant Commissioner Hanif Noorzai was travelling to Quetta with his family.

Some six to eight armed militants intercepted the official vehicle, abducted Hanif Noorzai, and left his wife, children, bodyguard, and driver by the roadside, according to Deputy Commissioner Kech, Bashir Ahmed Barech.

Following the incident, a search operation was launched along Zubaida Jalal Road to recover the kidnapped official. Authorities have also sought the assistance of local tribal elders to facilitate his safe recovery, the Deputy Commissioner added.

Tump is a tehsil of Kech district in Balochistan, located near the border with Iran.

Read More: Balochistan can never be separated from Pakistan: DG ISPR

Earlier, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR), Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, has said that Balochistan can never be separated from Pakistan, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

Talking to teachers in Hilal Talks 2025 program, he reaffirmed that Kashmir is an integral part of Pakistan and will always remain so, stressing that there should be no doubt about it.

The DG ISPR strongly rejected propaganda about the separation of Balochistan from Pakistan.

“Balochistan can never be separated from Pakistan,” he said. “It is deeply connected to our economy, culture, and identity. We are all Pakistanis, united and inseparable.”

He highlighted that Balochistan has immense potential, saying that one day it will become the richest province of Pakistan.

Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that India is the primary sponsor of terrorism in Balochistan and the root cause of instability across the region.

He said, “The agents of Fitna al-Hindustan are enemies of Balochistan’s development. These terrorists are trained, funded, and even medically treated by India, using Afghanistan as their base of operations.”