Families, friends mourn loved ones killed in Turbat tragedy

SIALKOT: The coldblooded murder of 15 illegal border-crossers in Turbat left their families, relatives and friends in mourning after their bodies arrived in various cities of Punjab, ARY News reported on Thursday.

Blank stares, hushed whispers and tears characterized the victims’ residences as the distraught families received the bodies.

Two friends Ghufran and Ghafoor, residents of Sialkot, were among the dead having high hopes of a better future. The hushed whispers soon turned into screams and howls of grief and heartache when their families received the bodies.

Both friends, aged 22, had paid a hefty amount to the agents for their journey to Europe, the families informed media, adding, they left their respective homes on Nov 10.

Another victim was identified as Khurrum Shehzad, resident of Mandi Bahauddin’s Phalia, who gambled away all his savings in search for a better life in Europe.

The two other victims were identified as 28-year-old Ghulam Rabbani and Ahsan, residents of Gujranwala.

All the bullet-riddled bodies were found by levies personnel in a mountainous area of Balochistan’s Kech district on Wednesday morning.

A proscribed terror outfit Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), headed by Dr Allah Nazar, claimed the responsibility of the incident.

Kech district is considered to be one of the sensitive regions in the province. Militants have repeatedly attacked labourers, security forces and pro-government politicians in the area.

A large number of people from Punjab and other parts of Pakistan attempt to sneak into Iran illegally to enter European countries via Turkey and Caspian sea in search of a better future.