KABIRWALA/ ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: At least seven people belonging to Khanewal were Thursday shot dead in Gwadar by unidentified assailants who broke into a residential quarter and opened indiscriminate fire.
Deputy Commissioner Khanewal Wasim Hamid Sindhi said the deadly attack occurred around 3am when the victims were asleep. They worked at a barbershop. A labourer also got injured in the attack.
“The bodies of victims have been shifted to a Gwadar hospital and law-enforcers started investigation,” the DC added.
DPO Khanewal Umar Farooq told The News that the deceased hailed from Mian Channu and Kabirwala Tehsils and were working at a barbershop. They were identified as Sajid, Asad and Habib, residents of Chak 134/16L Mian Channu, Ansar and Shan, residents of Chak 89/15L Main Channu, Muqarrab, resident of Chak 11B/8R, Abdul Hakeem and Adnan (14), resident of Choppar Hatta, while the injured was identified as Arsalan.
The DC Khanewal contacted the deputy commissioner of Gwadar to get information about the tragedy and passage of the bodies. He also issued directions for burial arrangements. The DC said efforts were being made to contact the families of victims.
Talking to newsmen, deceased Adnan’s brother said all the seven individuals belonged to the Jhatta family living in different areas of Mian Channu and Kabirwala tehsils. He said they didn’t know yet when the body of his brother and others would reach their native town.
DPO Umar Farooq further said they had made all the arrangements to receive the bodies.
Meanwhile, Seraiki nationalists have expressed deep concern over the continuous killings of poor and needy workers and criticised the government’s pathetic attitude towards the unabated killings of poor workers in Balochistan.
With no financial compensation or even sympathy from the government, the Seraiki nationalists announced a protest at Chowk Kutchery on Friday (today). They warned if justice did not prevail, the entire Wasib will protest and effigies of the rulers would be burnt.
Speaking at a joint press conference at the Multan Press Club here, Seraikistan Qaumi Council chairman Zahor Dhreeja, Pakistan Seraiki Party president Allah Nawaz Wains, Seraikistan Democratic Party president Rana Faraz Noon, Shah Nawaz Mashori and others largely condemned the killing of Seraiki workers.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Thursday strongly condemned the killings and prayed to Allah Almighty for peace for the departed souls and sympathised with the bereaved families, reports APP.
“We share the grief of the victim families. Such an attack is a cowardly act of anti-state elements,” he said and reiterated the government’s resolve to eliminate terrorism from the country.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Thursday condemned the killing of seven migrant workers in Gwadar. It said this is at least the second such attack targeting people of Punjabi ethnicity in Balochistan in a space of a month. “While the provincial government must take immediate steps to locate and punish the perpetrators, both the federal and provincial governments need to address the deeper causes of alienation and anger among the Baloch,” it said.