Unidentified gunmen kill seven bus passengers in Balochistan’s Barkhan

QUETTA, Feb 19 (SABAH): Unidentified gunmen killed seven people travelling to Punjab after off-loading them from a passenger bus, in the Barkhan district.

According to media reports, a group of around 40 armed men stopped several buses and other vehicles near Rakhani, on the Barkhan-Dera Ghazi Khan Highway.

“Armed men offloaded seven passengers from a coach after checking their identity cards and killed them,” Barkhan Deputy Commissioner Waqar Khurshid Alam said.

“All seven who were travelling in the coach belonged to Punjab, and were on their way to Lahore,” he said. After disembarking them from the coach, the gunmen opened fire, killing them on the spot, he said, adding that the attackers managed to escape.

The bodies of the seven slain men were later shifted to the district headquarters hospital. The Barkhan deputy commissioner said that FC and levies personnel had reached the site and cordoned off the area. Balochistan has witnessed a spate of attacks targeting those hailing from Punjab.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Zardari expressed grief and sorrow over the killing of bus passengers by terrorists in Barkhan, Balochistan.

Commiserating with the bereaved families, PM Shehbaz prayed for the departed souls. The Prime Minister directed that the perpetrators be brought to justice at the earliest.

He emphasized that those who harm innocent and defenseless people will have to pay a very heavy price. Shehbaz Sharif said the sacrifices of innocent civilians will never go in vain.

The Prime Minister reaffirmed the commitment to completely eliminate terrorism from the country.