QUETTA: A search operation is currently underway to recover Ziarat Assistant Commissioner Muhammad Afzal and his son, who were abducted on Sunday during a visit to the tourist destination Zezri.
The incident took place when unidentified gunmen kidnapped the assistant commissioner, his son, and their gunman and driver while they were at the picnic point. The assailants released the gunman and driver shortly after, but took the assistant commissioner and his son, leaving them stranded after setting the official vehicle on fire.
Deputy Commissioner Ziarat, Zakaullah Durani, confirmed the abduction, stating that the gunman and driver were released, and the kidnappers fled the scene with the assistant commissioner and his son. Authorities have cordoned off the area, and security forces have begun an extensive search operation. However, no breakthrough in the recovery of the abducted officials has been reported so far.
This incident follows a similar case two months ago when Assistant Commissioner Tump, Mohammad Hanif Norzai, was also abducted. Balochistan, along with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has seen an increase in terrorist activity in recent months, with both provinces dealing with infiltration attempts from terrorists crossing the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Last week, security forces successfully neutralized 47 Indian-backed terrorists in Zhob, preventing their infiltration through the border. In June, the country experienced 78 terrorist attacks, leading to 100 deaths, including 53 security personnel and 39 civilians.
Authorities continue their search to bring the abducted officials back and have vowed to take necessary action against those responsible for the crime.
