Islamabad, July 11, 2025: In a brutal act of terrorism, at least nine passengers travelling on two Punjab-bound coaches were abducted and killed by unidentified gunmen in Balochistan’s Sur-Dakai area late Thursday night. The victims, all hailing from Punjab, were taken at gunpoint after the attackers checked passengers’ national identity cards and singled out individuals with Punjab addresses.
The Sur-Dakai region, located along the volatile border between Balochistan’s Zhob and Loralai districts, became the scene of the tragedy when two passenger coaches en route to Punjab were intercepted near the N-70 highway, close to Dab. Eyewitnesses and survivors reported that the road had been blocked by armed men, who boarded the vehicles and forcibly offloaded 10 passengers — seven from one coach and three from the other.
“I don’t know what they did to them, but I heard gunfire as we were leaving,” one surviving passenger told Levies personnel.
Assistant Commissioner Zhob, Naveed Alam, confirmed on Friday morning that nine bodies had been recovered and transported to Rakni, from where they were sent to their hometowns in Punjab. The bodies were later received by local authorities in Dera Ghazi Khan’s Sakhi Sarwar area for handover to the victims’ families.
Among the identified victims were residents of Lodhran, Dera Ghazi Khan, Gujrat, Attock, Khanewal, and Gujranwala. Two victims remain unidentified due to the absence of documentation, which officials believe was taken by the attackers.
The Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), a banned separatist outfit, has claimed responsibility for the attack. A BLF spokesperson stated that the group had blocked the Musakhail-Makhtar to Khajuri highway and executed the passengers.
This attack was one of three coordinated acts of terror that took place Thursday night in Kakat, Mastung, and Sur-Dakai, according to Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind. The government has repeatedly labeled all terror groups operating in the province as part of Fitna-al-Hindustan, a term used for allegedly foreign-backed militant outfits operating in Balochistan.
Security forces immediately launched a large-scale search operation in the area following the attack and suspended traffic along the highway. Authorities believe the attackers also opened fire during the abduction to prevent any passenger from fleeing.
Heartbroken families demand justice
One of the surviving passengers, Sabir Toor, shared his anguish with media. Toor was travelling with ten family members from Quetta to Lodhran for his father’s funeral when the attack occurred. Two of his brothers, Usman and Jabir, were among those dragged out of the vehicle and killed.
“I cannot describe this hour of grief — we have three funerals in the family now,” he said. “We’ve lived and worked in Quetta for 30 years. We have no political links. I beg the security forces to eliminate these miscreants.”
National condemnation
The massacre has drawn widespread condemnation from the country’s top leadership.
President Asif Ali Zardari termed the attack “barbaric,” describing it as part of Fitna-al-Hindustan’s broader conspiracy to destabilize Pakistan. “We are committed to clearing the land of these terrorists and their facilitators at all costs,” he said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed decisive action, calling the massacre of innocent civilians an “unforgivable act of terrorism.” In a statement, he declared: “We will deal with terrorists with full force. The blood of the innocent will be avenged. With unity and resolve, we will root out terrorism from our land.”
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti denounced the killing as “blatant terrorism,” emphasizing that targeting civilians based on their ethnicity or province was an “unforgivable crime.”
“These murderers are cowardly beasts. The state will not let them hide, even underground,” he said, vowing that all terrorist networks sponsoring Fitna-al-Hindustan would be dismantled. “Balochistan will become a graveyard for enemies,” he added.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the attack, stating, “We will chase and eliminate Indian-sponsored terrorists who target innocent passengers.” He called on the nation to stand united against such conspiracies.
HRCP demands political solution
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed deep sorrow over the incident and called for a political solution to address longstanding grievances in Balochistan. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the HRCP stated, “This wanton violence against labourers and common citizens is deplorable and must cease immediately.”
Escalating trend of violence
Thursday night’s massacre is the latest in a string of similar targeted killings in Balochistan. In February, seven Punjab-bound passengers were shot dead in Barkhan after being offloaded from a bus. In April, nine passengers were murdered near Noshki and two labourers were killed in Kech. A deadly explosion targeting coal miners in Harnai and the brutal murder of 23 travellers in Musakhail in August last year highlight the grim pattern.
In May 2024, the federal government formally declared all terrorist organisations operating in Balochistan under the label Fitna-al-Hindustan, accusing them of advancing foreign agendas to sow ethnic discord and destabilize the region.
