Two arrested in killing of seven barbershop workers in Gwadar

QUETTA: The Balochistan government on Friday announced the arrest of two suspects involved in the killing of seven barbershop workers, hailing from Punjab, in the coastal town of Sarbandan, Gwadar, ARY News reported.

On May 9, Seven individuals, working as barbers in Gwadar, were brutally murdered and another was injured, by unidentified attackers. The victims hailed from Punjab’s Khanewal and Lodhran districts.

As per details, terrorists attacked residential quarters near Fish Harbour Jetty in Sarband, Gwadar and opened indiscriminate fire. As a result, seven workers, who were sleeping, were killed and another one sustained wounds.

Addressing a press conference today, Balochistan Home Minister Zia Ullah Langau said the arrested suspects were members of outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) guns and weapons have been seized from them.

“Statements have been drawn from them which clearly show they were given orders to kill any Punjabi labourer”, he said, reiterating that foreign forces are behind these terrorist attacks to create chaos in the province.

The minister termed the arrest a “great success” and congratulate all the institutions who fulfilled their responsibility and the government’s orders with their efforts.

Langau further said that killing poor labourers could not be called a struggle for rights but was tantamount to spreading terrorism in the country. He pointed out that the government has provided Rs5 million to the families of the victims and Rs3m to the injured.

He noted that the terrorists are trying to sabotage the development projects in Balochistan and create chaos in the province, adding that the government will not tolerate such acts of terrorism and will take strict action against the perpetrators.

Zia emphasised that the war against terrorism is not just the responsibility of the government, but also of the people, and that collective efforts are needed to root out terrorism from the province.

The minister added that the Balochistan government was devising a plan of action to deal with the “new terrorism events gaining much support”.

The attack on barbershop workers was third on Punjabi nationals in Balochistan in less than a month. On April 28, two labourers belonging to Punjab were shot dead in the Tump area of Kech district.

On April 13, nine passengers travelling on a Taftan-bound bus were killed in Noshki after being offloaded by gunmen belonging to the BLA.