19 February 2025
By Dauran Baloch
KOHLU
“When they stopped the bus, they meticulously checked the identity cards of each passenger,” recalled Zeeshan Mustafa. “My brother didn’t have his ID card with him, so they pulled him out and killed him. I heard the gunshots while he was being killed in front of my eyes.”
In a chilling testament to the violence plaguing Balochistan, including that of its militant organisations, survivor Zeeshan Mustafa spoke to Voicepk and recounted the seemingly trivial detail of how his national identity card saved his life – but not his brother.
The attack took place on February 18 r. Seven passengers from Punjab were brutally executed after being forcibly removed from the bus bound for Lahore from Quetta on the inter-provincial highway N-70 in the Rarkan area of Rakhni tehsil of Barkhan district in Balochistan.
The assailants, methodically checking passengers’ identification cards and specifically targeting those from Punjab, executed Mustafa’s brother Adnan when he could not produce any identification.
Mustafa said the armed men were specifically targeting passengers from Punjab. He described the assailants as heavily armed, wearing uniforms, and covering their heads with caps and their faces with masks.
“They did not harm the driver or the other passengers. Their only aim was to single out individuals from Punjab,” he added. The attackers also did not target women travelling in the bus. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.
The attack occurred at approximately 11:10 pm, targeting a passenger bus traveling from Quetta to Lahore. Unidentified armed assailants intercepted the vehicle, checked passengers’ identification documents, and executed those identified as residents of Punjab.
How the attack unfolded
Deputy Commissioner of Barkhan, Waqar Khurshid Alam, confirmed the attack, stating that the perpetrators specifically targeted passengers from Punjab. “The gunmen stopped the bus, checked identification cards, and after confirming their identities, took seven individuals off the bus and shot them dead at point-blank range,” he said.
According to DC Alam, the assailants also fired at the bus tires when the driver refused to stop. Following the incident, a large contingent of Levies and other security forces was dispatched to the area from nearby regions.
In the aftermath, the administration halted passenger buses and vehicles at various locations in Loralai, Kingri, and surrounding areas as a precautionary measure. An emergency was declared at Rakhni Hospital to manage the situation.
Barkhan District Council Chairman Abdul Ghafoor Khetran reported that the bus was stopped near the Chaudhry Petrol Pump, close to the Levies police station in Rodkan, approximately 50 kilometers from Rakhni. Khetran added that due to heightened security concerns, personnel are being deployed in armored and bulletproof vehicles.
Bodies shifted to Rakhni Hospital
Security forces, including the Levies and local administration, reached the crime scene shortly after the attack. A search operation was launched in the area, while the victims’ bodies were moved to Rakhni Hospital, where an emergency was declared. Police confirmed that after official proceedings and post-mortem examinations, the bodies were dispatched to their native towns via ambulances.
Among the victims were Adnan Mustafa, son of Ghulam Mustafa, from Burewala; retired DSP Ashiq Hussain, son of Ghulam Sarwar; Muhammad Ashiq, son of Dawood Ali from Sheikhupura; Shaukat Ali, son of Sardar Ali from Faisalabad; Asim Ali, son of Mahmood Ali from Mandi Bahauddin; Muhammad Ajmal, son of Allah Wasaya from Lodhran; and Muhammad Ishaq, son of Muhammad Hayat from Multan.
A grim pattern of targeted killings in Balochistan
This is not the first such incident in Balochistan, where passenger buses have been intercepted and travelers executed based on their ethnic identity.
The province has witnessed a series of attacks targeting individuals from Punjab. In April 2024, nine people were killed after being forced off a bus near Noshki, while two laborers from Punjab were shot in Kech. In May 2023, seven barbers from Punjab were shot dead near Gwadar, and in August, 23 travelers were offloaded from trucks and buses and executed in Musakhail district.
The Musakhail incident was part of a surge in violence, with militants affiliated with the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) — a separatist outfit — launching numerous attacks across Balochistan, targeting both security personnel and civilians. Following that incident, authorities temporarily banned nighttime travel for buses heading toward Punjab.
Govt orders rigorous screening at checkpoints
In the wake of this latest attack, authorities have heightened security along the Barkhan-Loralai-Kingri route. Passenger buses are now undergoing rigorous screening at multiple checkpoints to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Additional contingents of security forces have been deployed in Barkhan and other sensitive regions, with armored and bulletproof vehicles patrolling key highways. The Levies Force, along with intelligence agencies, has intensified operations to apprehend the attackers.
Outrage among families
The families of the victims have expressed outrage, demanding swift justice and the immediate arrest of those responsible. On social media platforms, citizens are urging the government to ensure the safety of travelers on Balochistan’s highways.
The repeated incidents of ethnic targeting in Balochistan raise serious questions about the province’s security apparatus and its ability to prevent such attacks. With militants continuing to operate with impunity, the government is under mounting pressure to take concrete steps to curb this cycle of violence.
As Balochistan remains on edge, the onus is now on security forces and the state to ensure that such brutal executions do not become a grim norm in the province.
PM and CM vow action against perpetrators
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti strongly condemned the brutal killing of seven innocent and unarmed passengers, calling it an inhumane act. He stated that terrorists are targeting defenseless civilians and that such cowardly attacks by enemies of peace are intolerable and will be met with a firm response. He assured that those responsible would be brought to justice and vowed to eliminate terrorists who kill innocent Pakistanis.
In a statement on Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif asserted, “Those who harm innocent and defenseless people will have to pay a very heavy price.” The prime minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to completely eliminate terrorism from the country.
Expressing grief over the killings, he conveyed his sympathies to the bereaved families and prayed for the departed souls. PM Shehbaz directed that the perpetrators be brought to justice at the earliest, adding, “The sacrifices of innocent civilians will never go in vain.”
Meanwhile, the Balochistan government spokesperson confirmed that security forces, including the FC and Levies, have reached the attack site and are actively pursuing the perpetrators.