Five PMDC officials taken hostage by Baloch Liberation Army

Occupied Balochistan: A group of armed men kidnapped five officials of Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC), from Sorange, a coalfield, about 40-kilometer from Quetta, late Saturday night, a senior official of Balochistan Levies told this scribe. “Around 30 armed men in several vehicles reached near PMDC residential colony and besieged it in Sorange coalfield. They barged into the residential quarters and kidnapped five officials and also took them away,” said Inspector Balochistan Levies Mohammad Amin. “The incident took place about two kilometers from Hanna Levies Thana at 11 pm.”

He said that the attackers had fled to the mountains area after kidnapping the people. Those abducted included Project Manager Mukhtiyar Ali Junejo, Surveyor Abdul Majeed and auditors Kamran and Tanveer Hassan while the fifth person kidnapped is reportedly a student Abid. Government run PMDC is engaged in Sorange in the outskirts of Quetta city, extracting coal through different projects.

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed the responsibility for the kidnapping of PMDC officials. Calling from unspecified location a man who introduced himself as Meerak Baloch, spokesperson of BLA, said his organization had kidnapped those officials. “It is a reaction to the massive search operation launched by security forces in Chamalang. We warn PMDC to stop its plunder of Baloch people and their resources,” he added. He threatened that they will kill the kidnapped officials.

It is pertinent to mention that a fierce clash took place between Baloch militants and Pakistani security forces in Chamalang area of Kohlu district which according to officials left six security personnel. The fight had broken out after Pakistan army Pakistan army in retaliation bombed several civilians populated areas killings scores of innocent unarmed civilians. An 80 year old man named Wadera Qaisar Marri and his aged wife died when their straw made house was hit by a shell fired by Pakistani forces. Two women and four children of same family were also severely wounded. Another shell hit the house of Challa Marri which injured three women, a man and five children. After this wanton offensive attack the Baloch freedom fighters had come to add of innocent people and started resisting against the Pakistani forces.

However, they were clueless about the kidnappers till this report was filed. Commissioner Quetta Nasim Lehri said a team has been sent under supervision of Assistant Commissioner Asfand Baloch to probe the incident and ensure the safe recovery of kidnapped people. “I do not know that who claimed the responsibility for this incident but we are making all out efforts to ensure the safe release of PMDC officials,” he added. The Home Secretary Zafarullah Baloch told newsmen that Assistant Commissioner had been dispatched to locate the kidnapped people. He had reached the area and there was no report from the area, Zafar Baloch said. Earlier, a protest rally condemned the FC operation in Chamalang and demanded an end to it. They also criticized the killing of innocent Baloch political opponents by the Government functionaries.

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