PESHAWAR: Unidentified gunmen abducted 13 laborers on Friday in the northwestern Pakistani district of Tank but released nine, police said on Saturday, amid a surge in militancy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and the rest of the country.
Attacks against security targets and the assassination of police and government officials have been on the rise in recent months in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with most assaults claimed by the Pakistani Taliban, also known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
In the latest incident, 13 laborers, all from the central Pakistani province of Punjab, were kidnapped in Tank district. No group has as yet claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.
“The laborers were hired from a private company and were repairing the poles of a 132KV transmission line in Tatoor village located in Shaheed Mureed Akbar Police Station,” District Police Officer Abdus Salam Khalid told Arab News.
The officer said the gunmen drove off with the 13 laborers but then dropped off nine on a roadside while the whereabouts of four were unknown. He did not specify why the nine workers were released.
“No call for ransom has been received yet and the search operation is underway to locate the persons.”
In April this year, a session judge of the South Wazirstan court, Shakir Ullah Marwat, was abducted by unidentified gunmen from the Dl Khan-Tank road. He was recovered days later with the intervention of local jirga and said he had been abducted by the TTP.
In the past, ethnically-motivated attacks against Punjabis have mostly taken place in the southwestern Balochistan province.
Last month, unidentified gunmen stormed into a house near Gwadar city in Balochistan and killed seven workers in an apparent ethnic attack. All the laberers were from Punjab. A month earlier, the Balochistan Liberation Army sepratist group had claimed responsibility for killing several Punjabi workers who were abducted from a bus on a highway in Balochistan.
Gunmen abduct 13 laborers, release 9 in northwestern Pakistani district of Tank
https://arab.news/9b9yv
Gunmen abduct 13 laborers, release 9 in northwestern Pakistani district of Tank
- Police say whereabouts of four laborers unknown, all laberers were from central Pakistani province of Punjab
- In the past, ethnically-motivated attacks against Punjabis have mostly taken place in Balochistan province
Pakistan PM calls for faster CPEC implementation, pledges security for Chinese workers
- Shehbaz Sharif pushes expanded cooperation in agriculture, IT and mining under CPEC phase two
- Chinese envoy reaffirms Beijing’s support for Pakistan’s sovereignty and economic development
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday called for speeding up projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and pledged stronger security guarantees for Chinese workers and investments, during a meeting with China’s ambassador in Islamabad.
Sharif made the remarks as the two countries strive to launch the second phase of CPEC, a multibillion-dollar infrastructure and energy initiative launched in 2015 as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
CPEC’s first phase focused largely on power generation and transport infrastructure aimed at easing Pakistan’s chronic energy shortages and improving connectivity. The second phase seeks to expand cooperation into industrial development, with an emphasis on special economic zones and export-oriented growth.
“While highlighting the importance of accelerating ongoing CPEC projects, the Prime Minister stressed on the need to enhance cooperation in agriculture and IT and mining & minerals,” said a statement circulated by the PM Office after the meeting.
“He also underscored Pakistan’s resolve to provide a secure and conducive environment for Chinese personnel, investments, and institutions in Pakistan,” it added.
Chinese nationals and projects in Pakistan have faced security threats in the past, including attacks by militant groups targeting infrastructure sites and convoys. Islamabad has repeatedly vowed to tighten security and has deployed special protection units for Chinese workers.
China is Pakistan’s closest ally in the region and a key economic partner, with CPEC widely regarded by Islamabad as central to long-term economic growth.
During the meeting, the prime minister conveyed greetings to Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, particularly on the occasion of the Chinese New Year.
China’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Jiang Zaidong, reiterated Beijing’s support for Pakistan’s sovereignty and socioeconomic development, according to the statement. Both sides also exchanged views on regional and international issues and agreed to maintain close coordination.
