According to Levies officials, a search operation is currently in progress to recover Ziarat Assistant Commissioner Muhammad Afzal and his son, who were abducted on Monday. The two were kidnapped by unidentified gunmen the previous day while visiting the tourist spot of Zezri. The gunmen also took the AC’s driver and a security guard, but later released them.
Deputy Commissioner Ziarat, Zakaullah Durani, stated that the assistant commissioner was at a picnic spot when the assailants held them all at gunpoint, as reported by The News. The kidnappers subsequently released the driver and gunman but took the assistant commissioner and his son with them, fleeing the scene after setting the official vehicle on fire.
Security forces and local administration have cordoned off the area and initiated a search operation, but there has been no breakthrough in the recovery of the abductees so far. It is notable that Assistant Commissioner Tump, Mohammad Hanif Norzai, was also kidnapped just two months ago.
This alleged kidnapping occurs as Balochistan, along with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, continues to bear the brunt of an increase in terrorist incidents across the country. Both provinces share a border with Afghanistan and have been facing repeated infiltration attempts by terrorists. Last week, security forces killed 47 Indian-backed terrorists in Zhob during separate operations as they attempted to cross the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
A report from the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an Islamabad-based think tank, revealed that Pakistan experienced 78 terrorist attacks in June, resulting in at least 100 deaths. The fatalities included 53 security personnel, 39 civilians, six militants, and two members of local peace committees. A total of 189 people were injured, including 126 security force members and 63 civilians. The report stated that the overall violence and security operations in June resulted in 175 deaths, comprising 55 security personnel, 77 militants, 41 civilians, and two peace committee members.
