QUETTA: The bodies of eight Pakistani nationals who were gunned down in Iran’s Mehrestan district remain in Iran and have not yet been transported to Pakistan, authorities in Chagai district confirmed on Sunday.
The victims—car mechanics by profession—were killed last week by unidentified assailants at their workplace in Mehrestan, located approximately 230 kilometers from the Pakistan-Iran border. According to the Chagai Deputy Commissioner, the Pakistani embassy in Tehran is actively engaged with Iranian officials to expedite the repatriation process.
The embassy has indicated that the transfer of the bodies to the border town of Taftan may take up to two more days. Arrangements have already been made for onward transportation to the victims’ hometowns upon arrival in Pakistan, the deputy commissioner added.
Six of the deceased hailed from Khanqa Sharif in Bahawalpur, while the other two were residents of Tehsil Ahmedpur Sharqia. The killings have sent shockwaves through their home communities, where preparations for funerals are on hold pending the return of the bodies.
The impoverished Sistan-Baluchestan region of Iran, where the attack occurred, has long been plagued by unrest, drug smuggling, and intermittent clashes between Iranian security forces and separatist groups. Due to its strategic location near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, the area remains volatile.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday condemned the killings, calling the attack a “heinous act of terrorism,” and demanded swift action by Iranian authorities to apprehend and punish those responsible. He also urged Tehran to make public the motives behind the killings.
Pakistani workers, especially from South Punjab, frequently cross into Iran for employment in auto repair shops and agricultural work. However, repeated incidents of violence have raised concerns about the safety of Pakistani labourers in Iran’s eastern provinces.
This latest tragedy follows a similar incident in January last year when nine Pakistanis were shot dead in southeastern Iran, shortly after both countries restored diplomatic ties following cross-border tensions triggered by Iranian strikes inside Pakistan.
No group has claimed responsibility for the recent Mehrestan killings so far.
