Unidentified armed men abducted 18 workers from a Khuzdar marble factory on Saturday evening, in the latest mass abduction to hit Balochistan in recent weeks. One worker who tried to escape was shot in the leg.
A police official told The Express Tribune on Sunday, speaking on condition of anonymity, that dozens of armed men arrived at the factory late on Saturday night in vehicles and on motorcycles, entered the premises and forcibly took the workers away.
The factory stands near Baisar Mountain in the remote Nal area, about 35 to 40 kilometres from Khuzdar city. The official said it belonged to former provincial minister and National Party leader Sardar Aslam Bizenjo and his son, Shah Mir Bizenjo.
The injured worker was identified as Rashid. Medical sources said his condition was out of danger. The attackers also drove off with two vehicles and a loader from the factory. Preliminary information suggested the abducted men belonged to different areas of Khuzdar.
No armed group had claimed responsibility for the attack at the time of reporting. Security forces launched a search operation in the area, while police registered a case and started an investigation. Authorities said efforts were underway to recover the abducted workers.
The Khuzdar marble factory case fits a wider pattern
The Khuzdar incident fits a worrying pattern that has built up across the province over the past three months. It came just a day after unidentified armed men abducted 20 trainee police personnel travelling in a passenger van on the Quetta-Karachi Highway in Mastung district.
Those personnel were former Levies members undergoing training at the Kalat Police Training Centre. They were travelling in a private van from Kalat to Nushki to spend the weekend with their families when armed men stopped their vehicle along the shorter Sarband route. The attackers moved the recruits toward the Gargina-Kardgap area of Mastung. The van’s driver and three civilian passengers were released, and no group claimed responsibility.
In September, armed men abducted 12 labourers from a road construction company’s camp in the Palari area of Nana Sahib Ziarat in Duki district. A private security guard was killed and two people were injured in that attack, and the assailants set fire to construction machinery.
In July, six labourers abducted in the Kalatak area of Kech district were found dead near Turbat after armed men intercepted their vehicle. The attackers had shot dead another worker at the time of the abduction.
Going back further, in October last year armed men abducted 18 labourers from a construction company’s camp and crushing plant in the Naal area of Khuzdar itself, setting vehicles and heavy machinery on fire. Nine labourers were also abducted from a construction site in Mastung that month.
Workers in remote projects remain exposed
The repeated targeting of labourers at remote work sites points to a security gap around construction and mining projects far from towns. Marble factories, road camps and crushing plants in isolated areas have few defences when large armed groups arrive, and the Nal factory’s distance from Khuzdar city, some 35 to 40 kilometres, left it on its own.
Officials have not said whether the factory had private security. What is clear is that the attackers moved with confidence, arriving in numbers, taking hostages and equipment, and disappearing before security forces reached the area.
What happens next
Security forces are combing the Nal area and surrounding routes for the missing workers. Police have registered a case, and investigators will be tracing the vehicles and the loader the attackers took. With no claim of responsibility so far, the motive remains unclear, and the families of the 18 workers wait for word.
Frequently asked questions
Where did the Khuzdar abduction take place?
At a marble factory near Baisar Mountain in the remote Nal area, about 35 to 40 kilometres from Khuzdar city in Balochistan.
Who owns the factory?
Police said it belonged to former provincial minister and National Party leader Sardar Aslam Bizenjo and his son, Shah Mir Bizenjo.
Was anyone hurt?
One worker, identified as Rashid, was shot in the leg while trying to escape. His condition is reported to be out of danger.
Has any group claimed responsibility?
No. No armed group had claimed the attack at the time of reporting.
Source: The Express Tribune
