QUETTA: Baloch separatist militants have targeted a dam construction site and a Levies check post in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan in two separate attacks, a senior official confirmed Saturday, abducting six laborers and seizing weapons just days after Pakistan announced a comprehensive operation against armed factions in the province.
The attacks occurred late Thursday night along the border of the remote Nushki and Kharan districts.
Pakistan’s largest but sparsely populated province, Balochistan borders Afghanistan and Iran and is central to the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects. The region has been the site of a low-level insurgency by separatist militants for over two decades, though violence has intensified in recent months.
In August, the province witnessed a series of coordinated attacks that killed over 50 people.
“Unknown armed men attacked a dam construction site in Nushki district on Thursday night and abducted six laborers,” Additional Chief Secretary Home Shahab Ali Shah said while speaking to Arab News. “The laborers were working for a private construction company.”
“In another incident, armed men attacked a Levies check post at Zarin Jungle area and snatched three submachine guns from the soldiers,” he continued, adding that no loss of life was reported in the attack.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a prominent militant group in the province, claimed responsibility for the attacks on Friday, saying the group seized weapons from the Levies and “arrested” construction company personnel.
“BLA fighters captured a post of the Pakistani Levies force on the highway at Zarin Jungle and seized the weapons,” it said in a statement. “At the same time, different squads of fighters conducted a snap-check on the highway and arrested five personnel working on a construction project.”
It added the BLA had destroyed the construction company’s machinery and equipment by setting them on fire.
Rich in land and mineral wealth, Balochistan is otherwise an impoverished region, prompting separatist groups to accuse Pakistan of exploiting provincial resources, including gold and copper.
Pakistan denies the allegations and says the government is carrying out several development projects in the region to ensure its prosperity and improve the quality of life of its residents.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif approved a “comprehensive military operation” in Balochistan against the separatist outfits involved in attacks on Pakistani security forces after a suicide bombing at the Quetta Railway Station killed about 25 people, including army troops.
Baloch separatists have also been involved in targeting Chinese workers in Pakistan, prompting Beijing to urge authorities in Islamabad to provide them with foolproof security.
Gunmen attack checkpoint, abduct six laborers in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province
https://arab.news/vubpj
Gunmen attack checkpoint, abduct six laborers in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province
- The Baloch Liberation Army claims responsibility for twin attacks in Nushki district this week
- Pakistan has announced an operation against Baloch separatists targeting Chinese nationals
Pakistan Customs seize ecstasy tablets worth $1 million in Karachi
- Pakistan Customs has initiated investigation to identify recipients, facilitators of smuggling attempt, says FBR
- Ecstasy, also known as “party drug,” causes energizing effect, enhanced enjoyment of tactile experiences
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Customs this week foiled a bid to smuggle more than 9,000 MDMA or ecstasy tablets into the country valued at Rs299.8 million [$1 million], the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) said in a statement.
According to the FBR, the narcotics were found concealed inside speakers and LED lamps in a parcel that arrived from Germany at the International Mail Office in the southern port city of Karachi.
It said the shipment had been falsely declared as containing “clothes, socks and music boxes.”
“Officials of the Airport Cargo Control Unit (ACCU), Collectorate of Customs Airports Karachi, seized 9,455 MDMA (ecstasy) tablets valued at Rs299.791 million during a targeted inspection,” the FBR said on Friday.
“Customs authorities have initiated further investigation to identify the recipients and facilitators of the smuggling attempt.”
Ecstasy/MDMA acts as both a stimulant and hallucinogen, producing an energizing effect, distortions in time and perception, and enhanced enjoyment of tactile experiences.
Adolescents and young adults use it around the world to reduce inhibitions and to promote euphoria, feelings of closeness, and empathy.
Known as a “party drug,” ecstasy is consumed in both pill and powder form.
Pakistan has stepped up efforts against clamping down on illegal drugs, with authorities frequently seizing large quantities of narcotics such as heroin, ecstacy, ice and hashish across the country.
In November, Pakistan Navy seized narcotics worth Rs36 billion ($130 million) under a Saudi-led maritime task force.
In October, another Pakistan Navy ship seized a record haul worth nearly Rs271 billion ($972 million), one of the largest drug seizures ever reported in the North Arabian Sea.
