Nine Hindus rescued from forced labourin Khuzdar

QUETTA: Authorities have rescued nine members of the Hindu community from forced labor in the remote area of Khura, located in the Gresha tehsil of Khuzdar district.

The operation was launched following a formal request by Senator Dhanesh Kumar to Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, who took notice and directed high-level authorities to intervene.

Acting on the chief minister’s orders, the Commissioner of Kalat Division supervised a swift operation led by the Levies Force. The team departed early in the morning and reached the site around 9:00 am, where they raided the premises and found the laborers being compelled to work under coercive conditions. Two influential landlords, identified as Babu and Dad Mohammad Baloch, were arrested.

All rescued individuals, including men, women, and children, belong to the Hindu community from Sanghar district in Sindh. They were reportedly brought to Balochistan under pretense and later forced to work on farmlands at gunpoint. The victims have been moved to the Levies station in Nal, where their statements were recorded. Once legal formalities are completed, they will be handed over to the Hindu Panchayat.

The incident has drawn widespread condemnation and is being described as a grave violation of human rights. Human rights groups, the Hindu Panchayat, and civil society have welcomed the Balochistan government’s prompt response.

Senator Dhanesh Kumar said that such acts of cruelty against minorities would not be tolerated and praised the chief minister for taking timely and decisive action.