At least seven people—all of Punjabi ethnicity—were shot dead on Thursday morning while sleeping at their residence in Balochistan’s Gwadar.
Speaking with media, Gwadar Police Station House Officer (SHO) Mohsin Ali said unidentified gunmen opened fire on the residential quarter near the Gwadar Fish Harbor in the Surbandar area, killing seven people and leaving one person injured. He said all eight casualties were employed at a local barbershop and were originally from the Khanewal and Lodhran districts of Punjab.
Condemning the killings, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti offered his condolence to the families of the deceased. According to a statement, he has sought a report from authorities concerned, warning “all kinds of force will be used to arrest the terrorists and their facilitators.” He vowed that every “single drop of the blood of Pakistanis” would be accounted.
Separately, Balochistan Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langau ordered an investigation into the killing, describing the incident as “open terrorism.” He said killing of poor laborers was a cowardly move and the terrorists involved would be dealt with strictly.
A provincial government spokesperson said they were contacting the families of the deceased.
There has been a surge in attacks targeting Punjabis in Balochistan in recent months. Last month, unidentified assailants gunned down nine people in a terror incident in the Naushki district of Balochistan. According to authorities, the nine men—all from Punjab—were traveling on a bus on the National Highway from Quetta to Taftan when militants stopped their vehicle, dragged them out, and abducted them.
Police launched a search operation for the abductees, finding their bodies under a nearby bridge. Authorities said the deceased hailed from the Mandi Bahauddin, Wazirabad and Gujranwala areas of Punjab and were laborers.