The bodies of nine Punjabi passengers, who were kidnapped and killed in Balochistan last night, were recovered and sent to their hometowns.
According to Commissioner Dera Ghazi Khan, Ashfaq Ahmed, the bodies of those brutally martyred after being taken off buses in Zhob district were received by Deputy Commissioner Dera Ghazi Khan, Muhammad Usman Khalid, along with Commandant Asad Chandia. The bodies were then dispatched to their respective hometowns.
The deputy commissioner stated that the bodies were sent in 15 ambulances, with a government official accompanying each ambulance. The administration said the victims belonged to Lahore, Gujrat, Khanewal, Gujranwala, Lodhran, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Muzaffargarh.
The administration revealed that two brothers, Jabir and Usman, were from Dunyapur tehsil in Lodhran. They were traveling from Balochistan to attend their father’s funeral when they were taken off the bus in front of their female family members and children, taken to the mountains, and killed. Now, three funerals will take place from one household.
Muhammad Irfan was from Dera Ghazi Khan, Sabir from Kamoke, Gujranwala, Muhammad Asif from Muzaffargarh, and Ghulam Saeed from Khanewal. Muhammad Junaid was from Lahore, Muhammad Bilal from Attock, and Bilawal from Gujrat. Muhammad Asif from Muzaffargarh had gotten married just three months ago.
Ghulam Saeed from Khanewal was returning to care for his ailing father and leaves behind four children, the youngest being a four-month-old daughter. Sabir from Kamoke worked at a food center in Balochistan and was the sole breadwinner for his family. He had been working in Balochistan for 15 years and was traveling to Kamoke, Gujranwala, to meet his four children, the eldest being 14 years old.
It is pertinent to note that on the night between July 10 and 11, terrorists affiliated with Fitna al-Hindustan abducted at least nine passengers from two buses traveling from Quetta to Lahore after checking their identity cards and subsequently shot them dead.
The proscribed entity Balochistan Liberation Front, linked to Fitna al-Hindustan, claimed responsibility for the attack. A spokesperson for the group stated that they blocked the highway between Musakhel-Mukhtar and Khajuri and executed the nine abducted passengers.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the terrorist attack by Fitna al-Hindustan on the bus traveling from Quetta to Punjab and expressed deep sorrow over the martyrdom of innocent passengers.
